Guardian Angel
by slosh29
Summary: Undertaker takes a newcomer under his wing.Can he help her when she takes the wrong path and ends up in a dangerous relationship?


Special thanks to Sharni for all the help and suggestions, especially for the ending!

**Guardian Angel**

He sat in the room with his head in his hands. His eyes were closed. He kept trying to think of a way that all of this couldn't be true. He didn't have the heart to look up again. He couldn't see it again. Each time it ripped his heart out. He heard the constant beeps of the heart monitor. He heard the rhythmic sounds of the ventilator. He could almost hear the drips of the IV. He couldn't look again at her lifeless body and patches of skin that were as dark as the clouds on a stormy day. He couldn't look at her face again; her head was wrapped in bandages.

He had seen so many changes in her during the last year. He didn't know at the time what the changes were. Her personality was different. Then it was her walk. Then the way she carried herself. Then he didn't know her at all. Then she was back to the person he first met.

He didn't hear the door open, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He recognized the touch and it calmed him. He slowly let his hands move from the sides of his head. He slowly looked up and saw Sara looking down at him. Even though she was a strong woman she had tears in her eyes as well. She looked as tired as he. She had left only to take a break from the constant nothingness that waits for any change either good or bad.

They both had been in the same room at the hospital for the better part of the day. Neither had eaten or slept. Both looked beaten. Both cared so much for the woman lying in the bed that either of them would gladly have traded places with her.

"How long are you going to sit here and kill yourself like this? There's nothing you can do now," Sara said

Mark looked down to the floor again. It was a good thing fans couldn't see this side of him. It would take away from the tough guy Undertaker image. He caught a glimpse again and looked back up at Sara. He slowly stood up rising to his full height of almost 7 feet and looked down on her.

"Yes there is Sara. I'm going to find that son of a bitch and make sure he never does this to anyone again. I'm going to make sure he pays for what he has done." He started to walk away. Sara grabbed him by the arm.

"NO Mark, you aren't that kind of person. This isn't the ring. You don't have to live up to an image here. He used to be your friend. You can't do this and you know it." She was hoping her words would matter.

"I have a lot of friends Sara. But there are only a few who I would die for. You, Glenn and that woman there are some of those few. She was there for me and I wasn't for her. I didn't help her when she needed it. This is my fault. I introduced them. I handed her the first one. I told her I would watch out for her. I let her down and look at her. I even got angry with her when she did nothing wrong." His green eyes narrowed with the look of rage that he had so expertly practiced in the ring. Only this time it wasn't a show.

"You didn't know Mark, neither did I. This isn't your fault. It's not hers either. And you helped her many, many times. She didn't ask for help until it was too late. All we can do is be there for her now." Sara reached out and tried to hold him.

"She shouldn't have had to ask," he swallowed.

He looked again at the floor. He allowed her to circle him with her arms. He put his cheek on her head and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes again and saw her neck for the first time. There were scratches above the bruises. Her necklace was gone. He didn't have to ask if they took it off because he could tell it was ripped off. His rage began again. He gently pushed Sara to the side. She knew better than to try to make him stay. No one could if he didn't want to. And no one could stop him if he didn't want to be stopped.

"Stay here with her. Call me if anything changes. I'll be back." He looked at her once more before he started for the door.

"Don't do anything you'll regret Mark," she cautioned.

He looked back at her with a sight she had only seen in the ring. He looked like the scary dangerous Undertaker that fans knew so well.

"I won't regret it Sara." He paused before leaving. "But I promise you, he will."

**2 years earlier**

Angel was not beautiful but she was pretty. She had long brown hair and sky blue eyes. She had a taut body that showed discipline in the gym. She wasn't very tall which made her stand out in the gym. Most of the people around her were muscle bound tall men.

Mark had met Angel at a gym that a lot of the wrestlers used. He had seen her around backstage for the last few weeks. He had heard through the grapevine that she was a new talent find. He watched her work out and because she didn't have the physique of Chyna he assumed she would be used as a Diva. He had passed her a few times but she always seemed to be somewhere else. She always had a look of concentration on her face. Once she wasn't watching where she was going and she walked right into him. She looked up at him and said shortly, "Sorry". He obviously didn't intimidate her like he did most of the new people. "No problem, just look up instead of down," he said.  
She smiled back and continued walking.

Today he noticed her walk in the gym. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. She always came in alone. She did her workout and left. She sat down next to him and grabbed a 30lb dumbbell. He looked over at her while lifting his own weights.

"Hello again," he said.

She looked at him and smiled.

"Not much for words are you?" He wondered what to do to break the ice with this girl. Either she was a loner, or she was just nervous.

"Sorry, just have a lot on my mind. My name is Angela Mason. Most people call me Angel for short." She put her dumbbell on the floor and put out her hand.

"I'm…." he started.

"The Undertaker. Or Mark to his friends," she finished quickly.

"Are you?" he asked.

"Am I what?" she said quickly.

"A friend? Or a foe?"

"I could hardly be a foe since I am half your size and just met you." He could tell now he had her complete attention.

"You could be a friend. Call me Mark. Some still call me Taker. Whichever you like." He picked up his dumbbell again.

"I think I'll call you Mark. The only time I can see you as Taker is when you are in the total package." She got up and grabbed her towel.

"Want to get a beer after?" He said hopefully.

"Sure." She started to walk away. He watched her with interest. She went to the other side of the gym and started stretching before grabbing the first machine that would become available.

A few very muscular men walked over to her and one bumped her while she was touching her toes. He had some friends with him who was as big as he was. She stood up when she felt a pinch on her backside. She reached back and slapped the offending party with her hand as hard as she could. The slap could be heard across the room. All activity in the area stopped and all eyes were on the source of the noise.

The man grabbed his face and could feel himself turning red. He looked at the faces of the men in the gym and could see now he had some points to win back to save face.

"What do we have here now? With the way you had your butt sticking out I thought you wanted some." He smiled at her. She just stared back at him. Mark knew this was getting too far if it hadn't already. He started to stand up. But instead of backing down she walked right up to the man.

"If I wanted VD then maybe I would like to be touched by you. Until then don't." He reached to grab her arm and without a second though she pushed him in the pecs as hard as she could. We stumbled back a few feet and tripped over the equipment on the floor. He instantly grew infuriated and quickly rose to his feet. By the time he reached her he was looking into the chest of a very tall man. He saw tattoos out of the corner of his eye and he kept looking up until the saw the face of the man who was blocking him. He recognized him right away. His mouth slowly opened in shock, fear and awe.  
"I think the lady said she wants to be left alone," Mark growled at the little man and took a half a step closer to him. The friends with him slowly backed off.

"Don't you have something to say to the lady?" Mark gave him his most menacing look in his arsenal.

The man finally got control of himself and could only sputter "Sorry" and turned and walked away with no face left at all.

Angel grabbed her towel and started to walk to the changing room.  
"Thanks, but I could have handled it myself." She said unclenching her fists. He looked down at her. She had to be only 5 feet tall.  
"You can take care of yourself can't you?" He was truly surprised. There seemed to be no fear in her.

"Yeah for the most part. I had to. I grew up with 5 brothers and a drunk for a father." He seemed startled by this. "Sorry, that isn't something you tell someone you just met." She stopped at the door.

"That's ok. I like honesty. Still up for that beer?" He said hopefully.

"Sure. I'll meet you down the street at Mickey's in half an hour."

Mark walked into the bar. Most of the patrons stared. He assumed it was because he was recognized. He didn't think that the sight of an almost 7 foot tall man in biker boots and a leather jacket might seem intimidating. He spotted Angel sitting at a table in the back. She was nursing a beer. He got a beer from the bartender and walked over.

"So, what are you going to be doing?" he asked.

"I don't know, I think they are going to have me do an Elizabeth." He nodded his head knowing she was probably going to valet.

"Do you know who yet?"

"No. I have a couple of guesses. I think it might be Renegade." He instantly looked up. He had known the man who's gimmick right now was Renegade for about 10 years. They had done time in WCW together.

"I've known him for a long time. His name is Matt Camden. He's a wildcard."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's a good wrestler but he hangs with the wrong crowd sometimes. All of us can get rowdy on the road but some take a harder road than others. I used to hang with him a lot but he has some let's say..habits that I no longer want any part of. I don't need to; I have Sara to take the place of the parties. I also didn't agree with some of his views on wrestling or women. We used to be good friends. We still talk from time to time but we don't hang together anymore. He used to have a drug problem and he went through a bad divorce. He just hasn't come around since then."

"Well, I hope it isn't him. I hear he isn't too keen on the idea of a manager or valet."

"He's just old school. You are alone in this business. The first rule is taking care of number one, rule two is trust very few. You make friends but they are more like business relationships. You are friends backstage but business is business. We are all like family but pressures and opinions vary often. He likes to work alone. He had a quick temper but is the first one to apologize after." He paused and took a sip of beer. "How did you get into this? I ask all potential fan favorites." He noticed that she blushed rather quickly.

"I modeled for a while. I took some acting in college. Sometimes I work as a cosmetologist. I always loved wrestling. Even during the Hogan days. It was just a bit of luck. I asked my agent to send one of my headshots to Vince and hope. I have a few friends who used to be wrestlers that worked out in my gym. Contacts, contacts, contacts. I didn't think they would call. Wrestling was a way of escape as a kid." She sipped her beer and looked him in the eye.

"Escape from your dad?" He looked up and wondered what her response would be. That kind of question either got 'mind your own business' or total honesty.

She looked up at him, surprised for a second. She heard he was very blunt.

"Escape from everything. Both my parents were drunks. It just took one quicker than the other. Escape from a small town that you don't have to lock your doors in. Escape from being an ugly duckling in school. Pretend life that was better than the one I was living. I was just determined to do something with my life and not end up like her...them. I don't have any other family so I had no reason to stay."

"I thought you have brothers?" He said.

"I do. But we never got along and they are assholes. The less I see of them the better. Lets just say they are either in jail or riding the eternal high." She frowned and looked at her beer for a few moments in silence. He didn't push the matter further.

"Any advice for a newbie?" She smiled at him.

"Find the right crowd, find your gimmick, and don't date a wrestler," he said in quick succession.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Why not?"

"The same reason you never mix business with pleasure. Friendships are ok but no romance. I've seen it cause too many heartaches."

They talked for hours. He talked about Sara and how they met. She talked about the little town in New York she grew up in before moving to LA. She pulled out her wallet and she handed him some pictures she had cut out of magazines.

"I want to see all these places. I want to see every skyline and sunset." He noticed the one that was most worn was Hawaii.

"If you work for Vince you will. Travel will become your life. Just don't get caught up thinking its all glamour. You spend most of your time on planes and in cars. Then you end up eating your dinner at the Marriott. I'm not complaining. Its great. But it can be tough." He handed her the pictures back.

"So am I. You can do whatever you set your mind to." He was impressed by her wisdom. She was in her early 20s yet she seemed to have the wisdom of someone much older. He also noticed a naiveté that was childlike. She listened to his every word with wide eyes and excitement. He could tell that part of her still had that small town girl quality and was overly trusting. That isn't always a bad trait but one that leads you to become a doormat. But with the confidence she showed in the gym and her conversation he knew she would never allow herself to be one. They ended the evening with a handshake and a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for the hospitality. Not many people have been as open as you have. Actually most of them have been pretty cold towards me so far."

"They do that until they get to know you. Once you're in, you're family. Don't spread this around but I have a cold reputation myself. They think of me as a bad ass and I try to keep it that way. See you tomorrow at the arena." They parted and walked towards their cars. He watched her for a moment. She saw a homeless person sitting against a wall a little ways down the street. He saw her pull out a bill and hand it to him. She walked back to her car and waved before driving away. Inwardly he smiled to himself. This girl reminded him a lot of Sara. If she worked out he knew they would get along. And he was happy he made a new friend. It was something he hadn't done in a long time.

There had been some tense moments. A lot of the guys didn't take too kindly to the new stranger. Matt especially didn't like the idea of having to be a sideshow to a beauty. But he too had to admit when he first met her he was taken. Vince had asked Mark to show her around and introduce her. He knew that if Mark took the lead the rest would follow out of respect. The day he introduced her to Matt was a day that he would never forget. One that would haunt him later.

Mark saw Matt lacing his boots and decided now was the time. He could tell by the first few moments if they would get along.

"Matt, this is Angel Mason." Matt didn't even look up.

"Yeah I figured. Vince told me I had to work with you, he's the boss, and those are the breaks. I don't have a choice in that. But don't expect us to be buddies." He continued to lace his boots.  
"I have enough buddies. But you need a push fan wise and I am going to give you one," she said with a smile.

He didn't know what she meant by that. He looked up quickly and ready to pounce. He stood up quickly and took a step in front of her.

"What makes you think I need a push and what makes you think you can do it?" he said.

"Don't mess with her Matt. She will lay your ass out. I've seen her do it." Mark said, and Angel instantly blushed.

"I only do that to people who piss me off." She said looking Matt right in the eyes. Matt looked stunned by her quick wit and her language.

"Nice mouth, you should fit in fine." He reached out his hand and she slowly took it.

"I'm a truck drivers daughter. And most of my family are bikers. So yeah I have a mouth. But I can be a lady when I need to be."

Mark caught the last statement. He now recognized the toughness he so liked.

He left them alone to talk details out but could tell that things had started out well. Matt liked to run over people who would let him, and he knew she wouldn't.

Angel had met Sara when she came to visit Mark at a house show in Houston. Sara loved being able to have a few extra hours with him, as his time off was so rare. Sara had been traveling with Mark for the week and during the off time the three hung out together. Sara was impressed with her. She had the wits to hold her own but there were parts that reminded them both of a trusting little girl. They had become fast friends which Mark knew in wrestling is a rare thing. Either you hit it off or you don't. Sara found they both had a lot of things in common. Sara had become something of a confidante. She felt she could say most anything because she trusted Angel totally. What was said would stay between them. Most of the time Angel talked of how nervous she was of her upcoming debut.

She became almost an adopted child to them both. She saw a lot with wide eyes and was very strong but unsure. She quickly learned to adapt and take ribs and give them back with the best of them. Mark's favorite was the time she took his bag while he was in the shower and exchanged the contents of his with hers. All he had to change into when he emerged in a towel was a lacy pair of underwear and a very slinky dress. It took a lot of swear words and bribes to the boys to get his clothes back. Each city provided a new practical joke to top each other with.

A month went by. The time was spent on creating a character and wardrobe and test storyline. It was time to have her first appearance. In that short space of time she had become loved by most of the wrestlers and backstage crew. Everyone loved her quit wit and jokes.

She had had some training for the ring. How to enter, how to leave, how to tell the story. Mark and Matt gave her a little training on how to take bumps if needed and how to sell them. She also was shown a couple of holds and moves that would protect her from any fan that didn't know the limits until help arrived. She was a quick study and by the time she made her walk to the ring she had a confidence that made her seem as though she had years of experience. She would be the silent ornament until needed in high spots or whatever was needed.

While waiting backstage for their cue Matt noticed how nervous she was and tried to talk to her. Mark was also standing by and coaching her to take a deep breath and just go with it, have fun. She almost choked when she saw the crowd past the curtain but was given a small squeeze on her shoulder by Mark. When the music came on she let Matt go first then she followed. She was wearing a very pretty white dress and her makeup made her look like a starlet.

The crowd instantly responded. The men in the crowd had the biggest reaction. Matt was used to hearing the women scream because of his good looks and body. This time he heard the screams that were mostly for someone else. She followed him in and held his ring gear. The match went smoothly.

She wasn't very happy being forced to play the part of an innocent woman. She was hoping the time would come that she could show her strength. She didn't want to be an innocent Elizabeth.

Her stage name was going to be Angel. Vince's first sight of her make him think of a guardian angel, which would help, or interfere but in reality would be the beauty of the team. This name change was easy for her as most people called her Angel anyway. She didn't know how she felt about using her real name but that usually ended up coming out anyway and it would go with the gimmick Vince had in mind.

The first six months passed and things were going fine as far as work went. Mark noticed a few changes in how Angel and Matt were getting along. He would hold her shoulders and she would smile and laugh. He knew the look they gave each other. And all he could do was shake his head and wait for the blow up.

The fans reaction was immense. They had almost instantly accepted her. She had yet to show anything other than a perfect woman side. She hated acting like the scared little woman and was hoping her time to fight back was coming soon. She didn't want to wrestle but she wanted to show women weren't victims.

Her and Mark had grown closer as well. He would talk to her about missing Sara and she was always there for him with words of support. She once made a small scrapbook of photos and things that would make him feel her there. They rode together on a lot of the planes and split the costs of cars. He found he trusted her as much as Sara. He once made a comment about a wrestler she kidded with a lot just to see if it got back to him. It was nothing nasty but would have caused him to ask questions. She never said a word.

He found she was more like Sara than he realized. She loved boxing too and was a fan of a lot of sports except the ones most people did. She would be bored watching football but love diving and extreme sports. She was a thinker who picked her own path and not the trendy ones.

One night she was walking through the dressing room looking for Matt's coat to wear to the ring. Mark was finishing getting ready for his match with a guy by the name of Bill. His gimmick was that he was crazy which wasn't too far from the truth... He had wrestled him so many times he knew the match had no heat. He had on his leathers and was wetting his hair down. He spotted her in the mirror as she walked through.

"Come over here," he said putting his brush down.

"What's up?" she said innocently.

"You know what's up. I'm not stupid Angel. I see what's happening between you and Matt. Didn't I warn you? Have you heard the stories of Chyna and HHH? How about Macho Man and Elizabeth? They usually don't work out. He's a great guy but there are things you don't need to be around." He looked her in the eye to let her know he meant it.

"Don't worry Mark, I'm a tough girl. I can handle it."

"You think you're a tough girl. You aren't as tough as you think you are. You know and I know it's a cover." He decided to let her off the hook for now. "You still coming over for the weekend? Sara keeps talking about showing you the malls that Houston has to offer. She's around here somewhere, you might catch her."

"Still planning on it. Be careful for your match." She smiled and walked away.

In another dressing room Matt was talking to Bill. Angel walked in and handed the coat to Matt. Bill wasn't happy about wrestling Taker again either.

"This shit is getting so old. I've had it with him. He keeps giving me the attitude. I don't need it. The last match he kept hitting hard. Well, story or no story, I'm going to give him some back. I've always wanted to shoot with him and it's a house show so it won't matter anyway." He was pulling his hair back. He stood up to leave, as his match was due to start in about 10 minutes.

"Man, I don't think you should mess with him. You've seen him lose his temper before. Besides, sometimes we all get a little overboard." Matt tried to calm Bill down.

"No way. I'm going to kick his ass." Bill said with a laugh. "He ain't the big dog no more. He's a broken down has been." Angel knew what a shoot meant. He was going to try to really hurt Mark. Or at the very least not watch out for him in the ring. But she also knew the unspoken rules by now. Stay out of it. Don't interfere. Mostly, mind your own business. She remembered the things Mark had told her. No one had real friends. She knew if she interfered at all she would be an outcast and maybe a target for worse ribs or worse happenings. Matt continued getting ready. She left to think.

Mark and Sara had come to mean so much to her. Her insides were twisting with the fear that something might happen. All she kept thinking was she wish she hadn't heard the conversation at all. She heard Bill's music play and knew Mark was probably at gorilla position waiting for his cue. She almost started to cry not knowing what to do.

Sara, after kissing Mark goodbye was walking to the back to watch with everyone else. She saw Angel and could tell she was upset. She walked up to Angel and grabbed her hand. She saw tears spring to her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked. She was worried. Angel didn't crack easily.

Angel could still hear Bill's music. She was running out of time.

"Sara, go tell Mark I said a shoot. Hurry before he goes out. Please." Sara knew what she meant right away and started running. Angel heard the unmistakable BONG of Takers music start. She went into the dressing room and sat by herself. Not knowing if Sara made it or not.

After a long while Sara found her. She had made it to Mark on time and he instantly grew angry, knowing that without the warning Bill would try to do as much damage as possible.

Angel was due to walk out with Renegade for the next match. She had to get together. Sara sat down next to her.

"Thanks for the warning. Don't worry, he will show Bill a thing or two." Sara grabbed her hand.

"I think it's over Sara. I was the only one in there besides Bill and Matt. They will know who told him."

"No they wont. He knows how to handle it. He wont let on anyone told him. He will probably let Bill get in a shot and take over from there."

Matt showed up at the door. "Come on, they want us at gorilla right now." He walked away.

Angel stood up slowly and started to walk as fast as her high heels could carry her. Mark had won the match as planned. Bill came stumbling in, bloodied and beaten. He never even noticed Angel and Matt standing there. Soon he was followed by Taker. They had a minute or two while they cleared the ring. He came walking back in slow Taker style. He met up with Matt and Angel who he noticed was visibly shaking. He didn't say anything. He just stopped and looked in her eyes for a few seconds. Just before walking away he gave her a slight wink and a very small smile.

Matt's match was a different story. Angel could tell he wasn't right. He had driven in fine but in the few hours he was there he had changed slightly. She had noticed the change before. He went into the men's room with the door locked. Now he was very relaxed. Almost too much so. He had made a slight mistake in the ring. He wasn't where he was supposed to be and he tripped and the fans noticed it. This would become a pattern she would grow used to.

Mark and Sara were walking out. He had his arm around her. "I'm glad I got that warning. He got in one pot shot and I don't think he'll try it again. At least he bled without getting bladed this time," he said with a sigh.

"I doubt Bill would risk his job and being Vince's favorite butt kisser just to hurt you," Sara said.

"You never know. He might have done it because he knows Vince might cover for him. Either way I owe her. It's so hard to trust people. At least I know when the chips are down I got her. She risked a lot to say that."

"She was almost crying Mark. I knew she was almost afraid to say anything but she felt her friendship with you was more important." Sara held his hand.  
They could hear yelling at one of the locker rooms. He recognized Bill's voice.

"Bitch you told him what we were talking about. You should have stayed out of it," Bill was screaming. Mark dropped his bag and started walking in that direction. He heard the bang of lockers and the loud noise of a slap. He ran in and saw Bill had her cornered in the lockers and had just grabbed a fistful of hair. He had a line of blood dripping down from where she scratched him during her slap. She brought her knee up hard to his groin and pushed him as hard as she could. It only served to enrage Bill more. Mark didn't reach them in time to stop Bill from hitting Angel as hard as he could. She fell hard to the floor. As soon as she hit the floor Mark had hold of Bill. He grabbed Bill by the shoulders and started pummeling him. He was punching and kicking. Bill immediately rolled into a ball to lessen the damage. Before Mark could do too much damage the road agents and assorted other wrestlers were running in. The agents pulled Mark off Bill who was still lying on the ground. Matt came running in and saw Angel on the floor. He knew Mark wouldn't do that but he knew Bill would. Just as Bill was starting to stand Matt jumped on his back and they started rolling around as well. The other wrestlers tried to stop Matt.

Matt screamed, "Stay out of it!" The guys knew that was standard protocol here.

"She didn't stay out of it, dickhead!" Bill screamed.  
Bill stood with more blood pouring from his face. Vince walked in and started yelling.  
"What the hell is going on here?"

"That little bitch has a big mouth," Bill yelled and spat in the direction of Angel. Both Mark and Matt were fighting the men holding them wanting to rip him apart for this further act of disrespect to a woman and a friend.

"She didn't say anything asshole. You did. You are such a shitty wrestler I knew what you were doing before you did. You're on so much gas you can't hold a match or a crowd. And you learned not to mess with me. You got a problem with me, fine. Big man! Don't take it out on a woman who had nothing to do with it." Mark was red with anger.

Vince had heard that Bill tried to shoot with Mark but he also knew Mark could take care of himself. Vince finally spoke up.

"You tried to shoot with another wrestler in front of my crowd. One of my main event wrestlers who is due for a pay per view in a month? Then you come in here and hit a woman who happens to be another fan favorite? You're fired. Get your shit and get out of here."

As the reality dawned on Bill he got more incensed. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot." He picked up his bag and walked out, with security following close behind.

Vince walked behind them to make sure he got the message.

Mark and Matt shrugged the hands away that were holding them. Both of them crouched down to help Angel up. They couldn't tell how badly she was hurt because she was covering her face with one hand and cupping her nose with the other. Mark gently pulled her hands away to see. Blood was flowing steadily but facial cuts will do that. Blood was staining her white dress. She wasn't crying. She was more stunned. Her nose was bleeding pretty well and she had a cut near her eye from Bills ring.

"You ok Angel?" Matt said.

"What in the hell were you trying to do?" Mark started getting a little mad. "This isn't the gym. You can't go toe to toe with a wrestler."

"You didn't give me the chance," she said with a smile. They helped her up and went over to where the ring doctor was set up. A band-aid and ice was all that was needed. But by the time they started for the hotel she had a good shiner starting. Mark offered to drive because he knew she was in no condition. When they got outside they saw the windows were smashed on Angel's rental car. Mark made sure he blocked her view and helped her into his car. Matt rode with them. When they got to their rooms Matt went inside and Mark held her arm to talk to her alone.

"Thanks for the warning. Not many would do that. I won't say anything." He gave her a little hug.

"Thanks for the help you have given me since I've been here." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and said good night.

She was given a week off for the bruising and cuts to heal before going public again. She was spending it in a small apartment she rented outside of Houston. She loved the area so much from her visits with Sara that she felt at home. Sara came by to visit often and was amazed that she was able to cover the damage pretty well with a lot of makeup. Unless you really looked you couldn't tell. Matt had called every day she was off. They had hour-long conversations about everything and nothing. The rest of her time off was spent doing some charity work and making appearances at hospitals, which she loved. She stopped at a local mall and found a few things for Mark and Sara and some of the boys' kids. Soon it was back to work and back to flights, hotels, and arenas. She was getting to see a lot of the sights she wanted to, but wished she had more time to spend at each place.

Things were going smoothly. She was a sensation to the fans and had surpassed Elizabeth's popularity. After a while she had finally gotten her way and was able to stand up for herself in certain storylines. Vince's rule for now was no contact. She could if it fit the story but no one should hit her or anything over the line. Eventually she wanted to become more physical but knew she had to wait until the time was right and Vince would change his mind. She remembered it took a lot of time for the guys to warm up to Chyna and sell for her. If it hadn't been for Mick Foley she probably wouldn't have gotten any heat at all. Mark promised her if when the time came to get physical he would sell for her if no one else would. But the story had to be just right to come across as a lady and not a victim or a bully.

Over the next month Matt and Angel got even closer. They would openly hold hands and kiss now and then. They spent a lot of time together at the hotel and backstage.

Some of the guys noticed a difference in Angel but didn't question it. She was usually jovial and happy. Lately she was tired and almost cranky. She would never be mean or nasty to anyone and seemed to have endless patience but lately she seemed to be a little frayed. They all wrote it off to the busy schedule they all knew was tough.

Matt had been having some trouble in the ring. He had been making a few small mistakes. He would stumble at wrong times. He would misjudge his distances and be too far away or too close. Sometimes he would just plain stumble around. This was not going unnoticed by Vince and his yes men. Vince had talked to him before about it but it was written off to being burned out and sick.

Lately he had been playing a heel and was fighting Rey Mysterio. The match was going well. They both hit their high spots. There was a subplot going on with Big Show. Big Show was supposed to start a storyline with this match. Renegade would beat up on Rey and do some heel spots and Show was supposed to come out for a confrontation after the bell. Show was waiting in gorilla for his cue. The last high spot was supposed to be a high cross body by Rey, and Renegade would catch him and do a power slam.

All the boys were watching in the back. Some were making comments about his mistimes and wrong positions. Matt just didn't seem to be right. Rey went for the ropes for the jump and Matt took a stumble back. He caught Rey as planned and went for the turn to land on top of him. He mistimed his turn and Rey landed wrong. He had landed very hard more on his hip and lower back than flat to absorb the impact. The result was pain like he hadn't felt in a long time. Nothing had broken but he felt pain so badly he couldn't move. Matt instantly heard a scream and realized his mistake. The boys saw the drop and all waited to see if Rey would get up. That bump was taken totally wrong. Matt covered him as planned and heard the bell. Matt tried to apologize but he could tell by the looks he got he had a lot to answer for later. Rey couldn't do much besides lie in the ring writhing in pain waiting for it to ease enough to get up. They boys backstage were relieved to simply see him moving and not paralyzed in the ring.

Show got his cue and started walking to the ring. Angel got in the ring to congratulate Matt and do her gimmicks. Show got in the ring and started his act of arguing with Matt who was quite a bit smaller than Show and much larger than Rey. The rest was in slow motion. Angel heard Show say his line, "Pick on someone your own size." Matt was supposed to be on the other side of the ring and try to do his high drop kick when Show did a circle around him. Matt didn't follow the circle.

The boys saw him start his jump and saw that Angel was right behind Show in the corner. All of them kept thinking 'What in the hell is he doing?' then they almost started yelling in unison 'you're too close!' Matt jumped and hit Show with his drop kick, which was supposed to be just enough to make him move a step. He was way too close and the kick truly took Show off his balance. He started stumbling backward and had no way to stop the momentum of his 500 lbs moving backward. He lost his footing on the last step and fell with all his weight backward. He slammed into Angel who was pushed into the ring corner. She saw it at the last moment but there was no chance to get out of the way. She tried to drop and turn to get out of the way. She got crunched in the corner by his weight. Her back and ribs met the corner of the second turnbuckle.

Show felt her behind him and instantly turned around as soon as he could get his weight up. The look on her face was enough to break character. The boys saw it and most started running past gorilla. Vince was standing there yelling for an ambulance. He tried to hold the boys back so they wouldn't break kayfabe totally. Mark ran right past them with Vince yelling behind to stay backstage.

Show grabbed her before she could fall. Her face was beet red and her lips were a bluish gray. Her eyes were open and she had a pained, almost shocked look on her face. She instantly crossed her arms over her chest, where she made impact with the corner. Rey saw what was happening and he was powerless at the moment to stop it. He tried to pull himself in that direction but couldn't. Show slowly lowered her down. By that time Mark showed up diving under the bottom ring rope and sliding in. The fans started screaming immediately from seeing Taker and expecting this to be an angle. Vince ran down not only to check to see if she was all right but to somehow salvage the ending. He yelled at Paul to go after Matt. All he wanted to do was stay with Angel and get the hell out of there, but he knew what he had to do. There were 15,000 people staring trying to figure out if this was real or an angle. He started pummeling Matt and not all of it was light chops. He was hitting so hard he was bordering on doing real damage.

The fans were concentrating more on the beating that Show was giving Matt. Show grabbed Matt for a chokeslam that he sent home with all the force he dared to use without killing him. Matt hit the canvas so hard his head bounced a few inches and he lay there on the verge of blackness. Show was trying to hold his anger. He didn't know who he was madder at. Himself for hurting her, Matt for screwing up, or the fans for screaming, thinking this was part of the story. He had seen it many times before. Wrestlers legitimately hurt in the ring or paralyzed and they would scream like bloodthirsty animals wanting more. Then he realized in this business it was hard for them to know what was real and what wasn't.

Vince yelled over the crowd to Show to go to the back. If he could make this look like a work the damage in the rags and Internet groups would be less. Paul took one last look down at her and walked slowly towards the back. He put his hand in the air for his gimmick salute and disappeared behind the curtain. Vince was trying to yell to Mark to go to the back and the ambulance was on the way. If he stayed out there too long the fans would figure it out. Mark simply gave him a look that needed no words.

Mark came up to one knee and looked in her eyes. Her eyes locked on his for an instant. Her head started to slowly turn to the side. He looked around to see where the damn EMT's were. He looked back down at her and in that instant he knew it was bad. He saw she was looking at blackness. He gently turned her head back to him so he could keep eye contact and keep her aware. He wanted her to know help was here and on the way. He had seen many accidents in the ring and knew the importance of the constant contact.

"Breathe, take a breath," he said to her loud enough to be heard over the crowd. He knew that it knocked the wind out of her which instinct hadn't yet forced her to inhale. He could tell she hadn't taken a breath since it happened. He started to panic when he saw her eyes start to roll and glaze a bit. Her elbows dropped to the mat. She had her arms crossed over her chest since the fall. She still hadn't taken her breath

Mark, not knowing what else to do grabbed her shoulders and shook a little. He could see she was losing consciousness. "Dammit breathe!" he practically screamed at her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard him. Finally she took an involuntary breath. Which caused a look of pain he never wanted to see again. She was breathing in short gasps but the dark red was gone from her cheeks and her lips were coming back to normal. The EMT's finally showed up and started checking for injuries. The only thing they knew for sure was she was in great pain and was having a lot of trouble breathing. Mark kept talking to her the whole time they were working. They put a collar on and put her on a board. He noticed her eyes close and this time didn't open. He held her hand and kept asking her to squeeze his hand. There was no response. Just as they reached the ambulance in the back he started to let go so they could lift the stretcher into the back, and he felt a faint squeeze.

A couple of the guys came to help Rey out who was slowly recovering by this time. One guy on each side helped him to the back. He kept asking over and over how she was but could only get an 'I don't know' from them.

Mark's match had long since been over so he rode to the hospital with her. After a while Vince showed up followed by Big Show. After the event was over many of the boys showed up to see how she was doing.

They all sat in silence until they saw the doctor walk into the room. The doctor motioned to Vince and he walked over for the update. Mark stood up and walked with him.

"I'm sorry sir. Due to confidentiality you can't be included in this conversation. We are only aware of Mr. McMahon's inclusion in the privacy agreement in her contract."

"He is listed too. They are friends and she has no family to speak of that I know of. She just signed the papers last week, in her new contract. She also named he and his wife as emergency contacts and proxy in case of her incapacitation," Vince said gruffly.

Mark looked at him in surprise. He didn't know that. He almost lost his composure at the gesture. The doctor continued.

"She was semi conscious when she was brought in. Since then she has become fully aware. That was probably from the shock and from what I understand it was a bit before she started breathing. The fact that she could only get small amounts of air caused her oxygen level to drop temporarily, which explains the unconsciousness. She has broken ribs on each side. None of them punctured a lung. They are stable fractures. She has a muscle tear in her back from the way she was pushed. It looks like she tried to push back against the weight instead of giving in to it, which could have helped slightly. Her breathing has greatly improved since we strapped her ribs. We don't think her spine was injured, but it doesn't take a break of vertebrae to cause permanent pain. She wrenched her back pretty well. She will need an MRI to see if there was any disc damage or minimal stress fracture. She has all feeling in her extremities and no loss of motion. There is no spinal cord damage. No internal bleeding. She is in a lot of pain but we gave her something for that. I recommended her to stay but she has refused against medical advice. In fact she wants to work tomorrow, which is obviously impossible. If nothing changes she can go in a few hours. Keeping her here would be a precaution anyway. She was very lucky." He looked over at Show. "If I got fallen on by that man I think I would have much worse damage. She will need pain meds for a while. Most of the back damage is in her lower back from the turn she made and the bend. I don't think she should be alone for at least a week. It will be hard to get around. She will need a brace for a while. She should be fine in time, however as you all know even slight back injury causes long-term pain and recovery. You can see her in a few minutes but only 2 at a time." The doctor closed the chart and walked away.

Vince walked over to give the boys the good news and a short description of how she was. He reminded them they were due for plane rides in a few hours and to get some sleep. One by one they left. All three sat down and waited. No one spoke at first.

"Where's Matt?" Mark asked, not only mad this happened but that he caused it and wasn't here to check on her.  
"He's back at the arena getting fixed. I told him not to come to this hospital or he would end up here," Show added.

"What the hell happened?" Vince was angry. He didn't know the whole story as he only saw the end of it.

"He screwed up. He's been off lately. Tonight was pretty bad. He was far too close, not in the right spot at all." Mark was angry himself. They saw Matt come walking in to the back doors. Show stood up ready to make good on his promise.

A nurse came out and called for visitors. They all looked at each other.

"You two go in, I'll be there in a minute." Vince said and walked to Matt as the guys were going in.

She looked like hell. Her ribs had been taped tightly and there was still a look of slight pain but she was clearly on some good meds. Her breathing was better but was still mostly gasps.

Mark went to one side and Show to the other. Her eyes were closed and she seemed relaxed. They sat down and they both grabbed a hand. She opened her eyes and looked at both of them unfocused.

"God, I am so sorry Angel. I didn't know you were back there. We weren't supposed to end up there at all." Tears almost formed in his eyes.

"It's not your fault," she said in barely over a whisper. "It was an accident. Things happen." She squeezed his hand. He almost burst into tears thinking she was lying there trying to comfort him.

After a few minutes they walked out and heard Vince getting hot with Matt. Matt was trying to offer some kind of explanation. Vince put his hand up in his face.  
"I don't want to hear it. I've heard you have been screwing up lately. Tonight you hurt Rey and could have paralyzed him. She won't be able to work for a while and as of right now you are suspended. You will take a drug test and the results of that will determine your suspension."

"You can't do that. It was an accident. As for the drug test I want to see you test the rest of the guys. If they fail you will lose half your roster." Matt walked right up to Vince and got in his face.  
"We had this problem before and I gave you a break. Want to try for termination?" Vince didn't back down. Mark and Show walked behind him and both glared at him with a look that told him it wasn't safe to be there right now.

Matt stormed out of the double doors with such force one of them cracked.

"His ass is mine," Show said very deeply.

"We are going to have to change your storyline. I don't want you killing him." Vince put his hand on Paul's shoulder. "Don't let it get to you Paul. It was an accident."

Mark spoke up. "She was going to spend some time with Sara and I anyway. I'll take her home with me. I don't want her going to an empty apartment. I got some vacation time coming and I don't have any heat right now anyway till the pay per view."

Vince thought to himself. The idea of losing 4 fan favorites for any length of time was damaging but he had to think of the personal side too. He knew she had no one else.

"Ok. Call me when you are ready to come back. We'll have to think of something to cover for this." Vince left.

When she was finally discharged it took her a long time to get out of the bed and into the wheelchair for the ride out. She was not happy about this part at all.

"This is stupid. I can walk. There's nothing wrong with my legs." She tried to get up. The small bit of effort had her hold her ribs and stop. Mark gently pushed her down.

"Stay in that damn chair. You will have a ride. I'll take you to the hotel. Tomorrow you're coming with me to spend some time with Sara and me."

"No way. I don't need any help." She tried again to stand up and he gently pushed her back down again. She was very stubborn and had way too much pride for her own good.

Mark went around to the front of the chair and got on one knee to look her in the face.

"There is no discussion about it. You were told to stay here and you said no. You can't be alone. Sara wants your company. I want you there. And in your condition you have no choice."

"I didn't get any worse than some of the boys do. Its part of the job." She almost spat at the idea of special treatment.

"First of all its not your job. Second of all you aren't one of the boys. You are a team player but you were outweighed by over 450 pounds. Third of all, we all need help sometimes. We all have had injuries." He couldn't tell if he was getting through.

"Yeah and you worked the next day. I have to work." She was getting angry and more agitated.

"Vince has given us both time off until the pay per view. And Matt's been suspended for a while."  
"What! This wasn't his fault."

"Yes it was Angel. He was off tonight and you know it. That bump should have been on the other side of the ring. Besides it's already done." He stood back up and she looked up at him.

"I don't want any help." She seemed almost embarrassed.

"That's too bad because you are getting some. Besides, you can work for your dinner. I'll

let you feed the dogs." He went to the back of the chair and heard a small laugh. He knew she loved animals but was afraid of his dogs. Mostly because they were almost as big as she was.

Mark pushed her outside to a rental car Vince had sent over. It took her a while to get upright and in the seat. On the way she could feel every bump of the road like a knife in her back.

When they got to the hotel he sat her down while he checked in. He helped her upstairs. She was getting around slowly. It took her a long time to get dressed for bed. When she came out of the bathroom Mark was there to help her.  
"I can do it," she grumbled.  
"I know what it feels like to try to lie down with broken ribs. Shut up and hold on." He grabbed her hand and helped her lower herself down. Being stretched out hurt worse than hunched over. He handed her 2 pills and a glass of water.  
"What's that for?" She hated taking any kind of pill.

"The doctor gave it to me until we can get the script filled tomorrow. It's Soma; it's for muscle strain. The other one is for pain. And don't tell me you don't need it. If you could see the color of your face right now you wouldn't argue with me. Besides you won't win."

She took the pills and swallowed.

"I don't even know what happened. It was like slow motion. I must have done something wrong." He looked at her truly surprised. There was no way this was her fault.

"You didn't do anything. Matt was in the wrong place and Show didn't realize you were there," he said firmly.

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing. You didn't do anything wrong," he said as plainly as he could. He sat with her and talked until she started to fall asleep. He could see a glazed look in her eye and saw her muscles relax.

She started to mumble. He could barely understand what she was saying.

"Check on Rey." She closed her eyes and he pulled the blanket over her. Even now she was thinking of someone else. He turned the light off and went to his room.

He checked on her several times in the night. He was glad to see that she was sleeping peacefully and pain free. He knew that would change by tomorrow. The pain is always worse the second day.

Mark woke up for good around 8. He took a quick shower and packed his bags. He went next door to check on her. He ran when he saw her with her knees on the floor holding onto the side of the bed.  
"What in the hell are you doing?" He helped her get to her feet and helped her sit down on a chair.

"It looks worse than it is. I got off that way to stand up easier. It just wasn't as easy as I thought." She gritted her teeth in pain.   
"Want a pain pill?" he asked.

"Not right now. I'll tough it out as long as I can."

"You will need one for the plane. It's not a long flight but you will be sore after sitting in one position for so long." She nodded her head. She decided to forgo her shower so they could get the ride to the airport over with. Besides, someone would have to help restrap her and she didn't think Mark would feel comfortable doing it.

When they got ready to leave she looked as far from glamorous as one could be. She had on jeans and a t-shirt. Her hair was simply pulled back. It took all she could to do that. Just the act of holding her arms behind her to brush her hair was almost too much. Inwardly she was filled with rage and anger over the fact that she couldn't take care of herself. She had seen the guys go through worse injuries. She wouldn't allow herself the idea that they too had to take time off for injuries. She had tears in her eyes when he had to help her put her sneakers on. She wanted to wear her boots but he convinced her that a slip of the heel would be worse on her back than the indignity of wearing sneakers she only wore to the gym.

Vince had paid for a private plane. The world knew he could be an asshole but those who worked for him knew that when someone was legitimately hurt in the course of business he was there to help. If that person gave their all it was rewarded. He felt being crushed by Paul and being told she wanted to go right back to work was loyalty enough. Mark was glad for the plane and not taking a commercial plane. The seats were larger and more comfortable. When they got on board he gave her a pill that she cursed at and swallowed. By the time they took off she was not quite asleep but not quite awake. He'd had the same injuries before and knew the pain she was in. He helped her recline the seat and she stared out the window until she fell asleep for the 3-hour flight to Houston.

Mark had called Sara the night before and told her what happened. He talked for a long time about the anger he was feeling towards Matt. She was glad he was bringing her there instead of her apartment. He also warned her of how bad it was and how bad she was putting on the tough girl attitude. They both knew the only way to combat that was to give the attitude right back and not cave in.

Sara was waiting at the airport. She watched him help her out and stand in front of her for every step down the stairs. She walked over to the stairs to greet them.

"You can't stay out of trouble for a minute can you? I think you like the action as much as Mark does. You are determined to become a ring wrestler aren't you?" She smiled hoping she would get one back, and the joke would lighten the mood. What she got was a face filled with pain and no smile.

"I love the action. It's the day after I hate." She tried a small smile. They kept trying to help her but she kept refusing. After a few words they convinced her to let them help her into the car at least. Then they had to talk her into helping her out after watching five useless attempts to rise by herself and holding her body together. They finally got her in the house. They put her in one of the extra bedrooms and Sara helped her shower and restrap her ribs. She tightened the back brace the hospital had given her. She helped her to lie down which was as painful as the night before. Mark came in as Sara was pulling the blanket over her. He had a pill in hand and a glass of water.

"No. I'm not taking anymore of those."

"They are for pain and you are in pain. The time it becomes a problem is when you take them when you no longer have pain. If you feel better by tomorrow then we can throw the rest away." He hated taking pain pills as well but there are times when you have no choice.

She stared for a second and took it. She swallowed and handed him the glass.

"That is the last one." She secretly couldn't wait for the effects of the pill. It was a sweet painlessness that could become very attractive.

They left and went downstairs. It was getting late and he was getting tired. Sara got him an end of the night beer and sat down with him in front of the fireplace.

"How bad did she look?" He popped the top of the can and took a swallow.

"Be glad you didn't see it." She hesitated. "Her ribcage is black and blue. More on her right than her left. Her lower back is puffy and a little discolored. You can feel the tightness of the muscles in her back. It's almost locked." She took a sip of her own beer and tried to erase the images from her mind.

"Her right side is worse because that's where she made contact with the corner. They are padded but they are still reinforced by the corners. Show is torn up about it. He might try to get a guy who is shooting with him but for the most part he is overly cautious because he knows his size could hurt people. He told me after Vince left that he doesn't want to get near a ring with her in it again. He wants to kill Matt. Not only because of her but Rey too. He will be out for a few weeks. It didn't cause worse but it aggravated an old injury for him. One guy, on an off night can cause this much damage to three people." He shook his head.

"It wasn't an off night Mark. You have told me he had problems before." She wasn't sure how far to take it because she knew they used to be good friends.

"I don't think he's doing it anymore. I think he is having a bad run right now. He almost died the last time he was on drugs and beat the crap out of his ex wife. He knows that road leads to nowhere. I don't think he's doing that." He shook his head but he knew it fit.

"I hope so. For his sake and everyone else's." They finished their beers and called it a night. They made one final check of Angel and could tell she was again sleeping peacefully and out of pain.

The next morning Sara went in to check Angel. It was breakfast time and she wanted to see if she needed help getting up. She opened the door and saw her face was white as the sheets covering her and she was sweating badly. Her jaw was locked.

"Mark!" she yelled. He came running in as fast as his legs could carry him.

"What's wrong?" he saw her and knew what it was.

Sara grabbed the blankets off. Angel took a breath and forced herself to relax her jaw.

"My back is locked," she said in a low whisper.

"It's from lying flat all night. It will take a while but you have to get up and moving around and loosen the muscles up." Angel knew he was right but dreaded the idea of moving. They helped her up very slowly. Mark was getting angrier over the fact she didn't make a sound.

"Scream if it will help. Damn it. You have to learn to ask for help or at least yell when you need it. You are the most stubborn person I have ever met." They got her up. Sara had to stop at that last comment.

"Make that the second. You are the most stubborn. How many times have I helped you up like this and you insisted you were fine?" She gave him a stern look that only Sara could do. He almost blushed.

They got her sitting on a chair.

"Want a pill?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," she said quickly.

The following day was easier and each day past that. Mark knew she threw the pain pills away but the Soma was a necessity right now. It seemed to help.

Sara and Angel had long heart to heart talks. She was amazed that Angel wasn't angry even though she had every right to be. She wasn't angry with Paul or Matt, even though this was directly Matt's fault. She was also surprised that she had a slight fear of getting back to the ring. She was convinced for a while that this girl had no fear.

"I'm not afraid of working. I guess I'm afraid of the unknown. You always know something can happen but it never happens to you."

"You seem to handle pain pretty well. You are like Mark in that area," Sara noticed.

"Yeah, well, I got into a lot of fights as a kid. When you have 5 brothers and are the youngest you learn how to fight. Unless you needed stitches or had a broken bone nobody cared." Angel had a far away look in her eyes. Sara took this for unhappiness or a bad memory.

"Sounds rough," Sara had to admit. Angel looked at her for a moment. Sara couldn't quite make out what the look was.

"What?"

"We can keep things between us right?" Angel didn't open up to people often. She tried to leave her past in the past.

"Of course." Sara kept eye contact. She could sense that Angel was uncomfortable saying whatever it was that she was thinking. Angel hesitated and started to look away. Sara didn't want to push but she could tell this was really bothering her.  
"I won't say anything."

"To Mark? Or anyone?" Angel had a very serious look on her face.

"If you don't want me to."

Angel took a breath. She had never told anyone anything of her past except basics. She had never talked about things. She felt she had a family secret to hide that didn't exist if you didn't talk about it.

"There were a lot of things that happened when I was a kid. There are a lot of reasons I fight back and don't take shit. My brothers were only part of the problem. My dad was a big part. I watched him beat my mother a lot of the time. I watched him beat the boys. They were afraid of him. I wasn't. He tried but I didn't back down. I didn't have a lot of friends in school because I didn't want them coming over and seeing the craziness in that house." Angel paused and wore a frown.

"I was in high school when my mother died. She was the only one I was close to. They say she died of emphysema and cirrhosis of the liver but I think she died of a broken heart. I had just started college when I came home one night. My dad was drunk. The boys had all left. They knew to do that when he got bad. I never saw a thing. He just started hitting. He was yelling at me but he was calling me by my mothers' name. He was trying to kill 'her' and I look just like her. He was much bigger than I was. I don't know how but I got away. I ran to my aunt's house. Twenty stitches, two black eyes, 2 broken ribs later and I left. I never went back. I never will." Tears were in her eyes. Sara couldn't say a word.

By the end of the week she was able to go to her apartment and stay alone. She was still walking slowly but her ribs were only a dull ache. Her back was constant pain but something she learned to live with.

When she walked into her apartment she found her answering machine was filled with messages from the boys, and Vince, but mostly dozens of messages from Matt.

She pressed play and listened to each one. Some were apologies. Most were crying and words she couldn't make out. The one that meant the most was a message from Show apologizing again. She shook her head. She would have to give him a big hug when she got back. She was touched to hear Rey's voice asking if she was all right. She thought he was worse than she was that night.

After the second week she was aching to go back to work. She still wasn't 100 but she couldn't sit around anymore. She had called Vince asking to be booked. He was surprised as the doctors kept saying it would be about another 2 weeks. He finally agreed but put her on a reduced schedule for a couple weeks. She packed her carryon and her duffel bag and walked out the door.

When she got to the arena she was greeted by every one of the guys. She was still walking slowly and stiffly. Each one had something to say. Each one had words of support. It meant a lot to her because they had started out so badly. She was afraid the time off would make her look weak or special. It made her feel good to have this family. She was surprised to see Rey there. He was supposed to have been out the same amount of time she was or more. He demanded to go back to work early as well. He walked up to her and led her away to speak privately.

"You took that bump better than I ever could have," he said with all honesty. "I just wish I could have done something."

She had a hard time looking at him with his mask on. She was so used to seeing him without it. She looked into his contact lens covered eyes.

"You did by your phone call. Besides, you took a pretty good bump yourself."

Mark showed up right after their conversation. She put a pill in her mouth and swallowed it down with the ever-present water backstage. She had her back to him. She had just swallowed when she heard his low voice.

"I thought you were going to listen to the doctors." She turned around to see him standing with his arms folded over his chest. She smiled up at him.

"Do you ever listen to your doctors?" She had him there.

"You better be careful. Still taking the Soma? Still wearing your brace?" He noticed she had less of a problem taking the pills than before.

"Yeah. For another week or so. Its better but still hurts. It probably always will." Mark didn't know what to say. The truth was she was right. But the idea of pain for the rest of your life isn't a good one.

"It could get better," he offered.

"Even if it doesn't. I will have to get used to it." They both kept talking back and forth. They could hear the bustling of people and voices around them. They stopped talking when they noticed a sudden quiet. They both turned around and saw Matt walking into the back door of the arena with his bag in hand. Mark knew he was suspended until Angel could come back. He tested positive for small amounts of steroids and cocaine. He also tested positive for Oxycontin. He should have been fired but Vince was famous for second chances and he was still making money off Matt and Angel. No one said a word as he walked towards them. He stopped at this awkward moment. All eyes were on him with a mixture of anger, and resentment. He put his head down. He knew that they didn't trust him. No one would wrestle him if they knew he couldn't protect them. Matt just stood there not knowing what to do. He felt a hand on his shoulder and fully expected it to be Show's hand with a fist to follow it. He waited for a moment and looked up to see Rey standing before him. Still no one said a word.

"You're back," Rey said. Matt had so much he wanted to say but couldn't in front of the guys. All he could whisper was "Rey I am so sorry" and kept his head down. "I was having some problems. I wasn't totally clear that night."

Rey looked at him and understood. He had seen many in the same boat he was in. Bitterness wasn't something Rey held onto easily.

"Its ok. It was an accident. We all have issues. If no one will get in the ring with you I will." He patted Matt on the shoulder and walked away. He looked up and saw Angel sitting there with Taker. The talking and moving started up again. Most of the guys couldn't believe Rey let him off the hook so easy but they also knew what kind of man Rey was. He started walking towards them. Mark crossed his arms and stood in front of her. By the time Matt made it to them he knew Mark was pissed and rightfully so.

"I'm not as easy as Rey," he said bluntly. "You have a lot of apologizing to do, and a lot of damage control. If you got problems that's fine. Don't bring them to work again. If you screw up again we will have some time. You hurt a lot of people by thinking of yourself." He shoved a finger in Matt's chest. Matt offered no resistance. Mark walked away. He looked back at Angel and gave her a wink. She knew he was the leader backstage and had to be the father figure. Matt stood in front of her a long time before saying anything.

Mark watched from a distance. He knew what he was saying. He had heard the apologies so many times before. He saw her reach out and give him a hug. He shook his head to himself. She had to be the most forgiving and kind person on the earth. He certainly wouldn't have been.

That night when Angel and Renegade walked to the ring the arena erupted. They had heard on the Internet she was hurt but not many knew the inside reasons. A lot of them had signs and the noise was deafening. She had become so popular so fast that even she didn't believe it was real. She had grown used to not being able to shop in privacy anymore but this reaction almost brought tears to her eyes.

Things were back to normal in a month or so. They had a full schedule and the jokes started again. The guys were slowly letting Matt back into the fold. Each one had a warning that if he didn't toe the line they would beat the shit out of him. Slowly they all started to trust him again. Trust is hard earned in the wrestling business.

Mark had noticed slight changes in Angel's attitude. She started becoming quiet again. She was normally one of the most vocal and visible people backstage but she spent a lot of time alone now. At a house show in Florida he saw her sneak outside. He followed her. She was walking slow and he could tell she was hurting. He saw her swallow a pill with her water. He was very surprised then to see her light a cigarette. He didn't know she even smoked. It was almost shocking because she didn't seem the type. She leaned against the building with her eyes closed. The heat helped her back and she enjoyed the time alone. He slowly walked up and stood beside her. She never heard him.

"What's up?" He didn't say it loud but she jumped and he caught a wince.

"What in the hell is wrong with you? You scared the shit out of me. Don't you know enough to not sneak up on people?" She almost screamed and took another puff of her cigarette. He looked at her for a moment before speaking. She had never yelled at him before.

"I didn't know you smoked." He didn't want to lecture. There were worse things someone could do.

"I quit 5 years ago. I just started up again." She took another long drag.

"Why?" He couldn't wait to hear this answer. He was always amazed at the excuses people use to do something dangerous to their health.

"I don't know," she said curtly.

"Come on." He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

She looked down almost ashamed.

"A lot of things. Pain, pressure, problems. The 3 P's." She took a last drag and put it out.

"What kind of pressure and what kind of problems?"

She never looked him in the face like she normally did in all circumstances.

"Nothing." She turned to walk back in the arena.

"What is up with you? You never had a problem talking to me before." He couldn't put his finger on the difference in her.

"Some things you have to figure out by yourself." She still didn't look him in the eye.

"You still have your stubborn streak. Friends are there for each other," he shot back.

She took a breath, almost defeated. She pulled out another cigarette.

"Matt and I are having some problems. I haven't had a day off in 3 weeks. My back is killing me. And I'm having doctor problems. Happy?" She came off more sarcastic than she wanted to. The last comment about doctors surprised him. What kind of trouble would she be having? She saw the look in his eye and instantly felt bad for going off on him. She managed to mumble 'sorry' before taking another long drag.

"Want me to talk to Vince?" he offered.

"No. This is my problem. Besides, I'm not the only one with a tough schedule." She knew he had many stretches with no breaks before. Besides, she had to handle her own problems.

"Have you been working out? That might help the pain issue." He hadn't seen her in the gym in a while.

"It hurts too much. Luckily I don't have to worry about my weight. I have lost 5 lbs. Wardrobe isn't happy about it considering they have to make everything so damn tight they want to show off every curve and bump." She was quiet for a second and stamped out the cigarette. "I tried to work out a little at home and ended up on the floor for an hour until my back unlocked." She was overly frustrated. He noticed her hand was shaking slightly. She reached into her purse again. This time he grabbed them and took them.

"You don't need this. You said yourself your mom passed away from drinking and smoking." He shouldn't have said that last comment. He knew as soon as he said it. She had a pained look on her face. But he had to make a point. If she was as addicted to other things as she was her work, it would be harder to break the habit again.

"I'm not in high school Mark. The teacher wont give me detention for smoking in the bathroom." He had enough. He could tell by her mood he wasn't going to get through no matter what. He looked at her for a long moment and walked away. He balled the pack in his hands and threw it in the garbage. She stayed outside as long as she could before her match.

Later that night before leaving the arena he was packing his bag and saw her walking up out of the corner of his eye. He didn't say a word and continued packing.

"Hey," she said. That was her favorite hello. He often picked on her because that greeting sounded like a country girl.

"Hi," he said shortly.

"I'm sorry. I do appreciate your concern and your help. I just have things going on right now."

"If you need a break you have a place to go." He looked up. Her face seemed totally relaxed. Much different than a few hours before. She was walking fine now and her eyes had a strange look. She was wearing a 3/4-sleeved blouse. Something caught his eye. He reached over and lifted the sleeve slightly with his finger. He saw a black and blue mark that was on the side of her elbow. She instantly grabbed it and pulled it down.

He reached over and pulled it up again. Her upper arms were covered with small black and blue fingerprints. He grabbed her other arm and pulled that sleeve up as well. There were similar marks on the other side.

"How did that happen?" he looked up at her and had a good idea of the answer before she had a change to say a word.

"I fell down. I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped and hit a door jamb." He looked at her wondering if she really thought he would believe that.

"I've known you for a while now. You aren't a liar. How can you hit a door jamb on one side and get bruised on the other? Did Matt do this?" She could see his face growing red with anger.

"No Mark, I fell. I had a drink or two the other night and I fell. That's all." She pulled her sleeves down as far as she could.

"Drinking, smoking and pill popping. Nice combination. What's next?" he could feel himself tremble with anger.

"Look, I have to go. I'll see you next week. I asked Vince for a couple days and I got them. I'll stop by and see you guys for a bit." She walked away.

"We aren't done with this. I want answers and you better start thinking of better ones." He glared at her with the sternest look he could manage.

"I told you what happened. That's all I can say. I will see you guys next week ok?" she smiled and kept walking.

He was concerned but couldn't call her a liar. His match was over a long time ago. He was just getting ready to leave when he saw Matt walk out of the shower. Matt had a slightly puffy and bruised eye and a bruise on his pectoral area. He knew that was caused by a fist and an Angel shove. He smiled inward to himself, if he did do anything he found she would fight back like a cat. He wanted the truth. He knew she had no one else. The road was her family and he and Sara were her family.

She had done so many things for them both that he couldn't count. She would bring thoughtful gifts she had found in her travels. She knew that Sara loved Harley shirts and bought her a new one whenever she found one. She would buy certain skull pieces that she thought would fit into his collection. She had helped him once when he had the flu really bad and still worked. She made sure he ate and had medicine and even helped him on the plane with a fever of 102. In spite of the fact that she was much shorter than he, he still had to hold her for support. Angel lectured to him for a day before he gave in and called his doctor for antibiotics. She drove him to the hotel even though he knew she hated driving in the city. Angel made sure she called Sara every few hours to give an update. The list went on and on.

She never thought of herself. She never saw either of them without some small gift for them. She was always volunteering for extra personal appearances and charity work. He watched her constantly hand money to homeless people on the side of the freeway or on the street near the hotels. He often kidded her that they would be rich and she would be poor. She was constantly making cookies and cakes for the boys on her days off. He owed her enough to find out what was going on.

Mark had talked to Sara about what he saw and the small changes he was noticing. She wasn't too happy about it either. She didn't understand either why women use the fell down line so much. She said she would try to get to the truth.

Angel came over on that Saturday. It was so hot Sara and Angel decided to go swimming. Normally Angel wore a bikini because she was one of a few who could pull one off. She changed into a one piece. She covered this up with a t-shirt. Sara didn't question it at first. She looked casually for the marks that Mark had mentioned but saw nothing.

"You must be a fast healer," Sara said doing a lap right beside her.   
"What do you mean?"

"He told me about your arms. The bruises are gone." Angel kept on swimming.

"Mark has a big mouth." This so surprised Sara she stopped.  
"He cares about you and so do I. He doesn't have a big mouth, he's just concerned."

"Sorry, Sara. I didn't mean it like that. Just sometimes he makes me feel like a little kid." She felt ashamed about slamming a friend like that.

"He does only when you act like one and need a swift kick." Sara smiled. They didn't say anymore for the rest of their swim. Sara swam her laps and kept trying to coach Angel on for one more lap. She knew the exercise would help and water therapy was the best for a back. She could tell that she was straining to finish the last lap. She had barely done 3 laps when she used to be able to do 10.

Later that night they sat by the campfire. Angel had a couple drinks and was waiting a while before driving home. She went into the house for a few minutes and came back out. She sat down and instead of having a fun conversation that normally happened when they lit a fire she simply stared into the fire for the longest time. Mark and Sara noticed this and thought it was unusual. After a while they noticed she was falling sleep. There was no way she should drive home like that. Mark went over to wake her up, which he found harder than it should have been for someone who nodded off. Between the two of them they got her awake and standing even though it took several minutes of shaking and talking.

"You should sleep here. You shouldn't drive." Mark said.

"No. I'm going home." She slurred. She started walking towards her Mustang. Both he and Sara noticed she was walking too unsteady for someone who had a couple of drinks 2 hours ago.

"No you aren't driving home like this. Are you ok?"

Angel said nothing and she just kept walking. Mark looked at Sara. They were walking beside her and she stumbled. He caught her and normally this sudden jerk would have caused pain but she didn't even notice.

"Let Mark take you home Angel, you can pick the car up tomorrow," Sara offered.

She truly felt she could drive although if she could see herself right then she would have known otherwise. She finally stopped and nodded.

"Sara, can you get my purse? I left it by the fire." Angel managed to say but it was more slurred speech than actual words. Sara nodded and gave Mark a serious look and a slight shake of her head and started trotting back to the fire.

"Wait here while I get my keys." Mark walked into the house and left her near his truck. He came back out to find her in the driver's seat of her car. There was no way she was driving home like that. He found her fumbling for her key and not being able to figure out which one it was when he key ring only held the keys to her car, and apartment.

"Get out of the car Angel." He tried the door but it was locked and the window was up. She looked up at him very confused.

"I'm fine," she slurred.

"Get out of the car now, or you will be driving with me on the hood." She still didn't notice him and kept fumbling. He knew he had to do something to get her attention before she figured out the right key. She finally found it and turned over the ignition. He slapped both hands on the roof of the car hard and raised his voice enough to let her know he meant business.  
"Open the damn door now or I will open it myself." The sudden noise startled her. She looked up at him for a second. He wondered if she understood anything he said. She turned the car back off. She dropped her keys on the seat. She fumbled with the automatic lock for a second and she opened the door and turned to get out. She stood up swaying as she went. Mark noticed her pitching forward. He caught her and picked her up.

"Sara," he yelled. Sara ran to see what was wrong. She was horrified to see him carrying her towards the house.

"What happened?" Sara helped her get into the spare room.

"She got in the car to drive home anyway. Then she went out. She's really out. This is stupid. She was fine an hour ago. I didn't think she drank that much but she must have." He was very thankful he got her to shut off the car. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened if she had driven like this.

"She only had a couple drinks and she wasn't like this. It has to be something else."

Sara had him put her on the bed. He left while she grabbed one of her long t-shirt nightgowns. She started pulling the shirt off of Angel when she heard herself scream. Mark ran in and at first didn't want to come in. He saw Angel with her bra and knew Sara wouldn't have called him if it weren't important.

"Look at this Mark." Sara leaned Angel over and her back was covered in bruises. They seemed to be older and healing. That explained her pain at the arena.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," Mark heard himself growl.

Sara looked at her purse. She had her purse with her when she went into the house. Neither one wanted to go through her personal things but they had to figure this out.

She opened it up and found another pack of cigarettes. They saw her wallet. A quick check of the contents found a few different prescriptions for painkillers and muscle relaxants. They were all from different doctors. The bottom of her purse was filled with assorted cosmetics, a few bottles of foundation makeup. There was also two pill bottles. One was for her ever-present Soma. The other was for Oxycontin. He recognized it as Matt's favorite painkiller. That script had Matt's doctors name on it.

"She must have taken both at the same time. Do you think we should take her to the hospital?" Sara asked.

"Let's see how she is. She probably only took one of each. She wouldn't have taken more than that. I can't believe she was stupid enough to take them after drinking. Lets keep an eye on her for a while. If she has trouble, we'll take her." He was still so angry over the bruises that he was afraid to look for more.

"Did she say anything to you about pain today?" He knew she spent most of the day with Sara.

"Not really, she had a hard time in the pool though."

Sara had a thought. Makeup. She went into the bathroom and got a washcloth and some makeup remover. She gently started wiping the areas Mark said he saw bruises earlier. After a few scrubs the marks were there and the white washcloth was now the color of foundation makeup. Sara turned the light on next to her on the table. She noticed for the first time how much makeup she had on her face. She went to the bathroom and got more makeup remover and a new washcloth. She gently started rubbing the makeup off. Underneath she had light bruising under one eye. She also had the remnant of a red finger mark on her cheek that could only come from a slap. Mark got so angry he had to leave for a few minutes. All Sara could do was shake her head and keep wiping, hoping not to find more. She noticed light bruises on her shoulders.

Mark came back in. Sara finished cleaning her up and Mark helped pull the blanket over her. He put his hand behind her head to adjust it on the pillow. He felt a small bump. He turned her head and started parting her hair from that spot. There was a small dark area of scalp and a small piece of scab. After a while he left and went to the basement. Sara could hear him hitting the punching bag he kept down there. She could hear the thumps all the way upstairs. After a long time he came back. They sat with her all night. Each slept off and on until morning. She had never moved all night. She made no sound. They found themselves staring at her chest and watching it rise and fall.

Around noon they heard a slight moan. They saw her finally move her arm. After a long while she opened her eyes. They were still dilated. She looked around the room trying to figure out where she was and what happened to the night before. She noticed Sara and Mark staring at her. She must have drunk too much.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have had that last beer," she mumbled. She started to sit up and winced from the stiffness she felt every day. Her eyes searched for her purse. She knew in it was the help she needed.

Sara held her purse up. Mark opened his hand and held the two prescription bottles. She had a look something like a cornered animal.

"You took these last night with your beer. You tried to drive home. You have been lying to both of us for how long?" Mark tried not to lose his temper.

"I didn't lie to you. It's no big deal. The same things are all over the locker room. I have pain Mark." He threw the bottles on the bed next to her.

"We all have pain in this business. I can't even straighten my arm anymore. But I don't take this crap. And when I do have to I don't take them with alcohol." He was livid. She was defiant. She slowly stood up.

"I don't need this," she said softly.

"But you need Matt? To be what, his punching bag?" Sara got her shot in too. Now Angel felt double-teamed. She gave Sara a look that was nothing but deep hurt. She hadn't said the words but she more or less had broken her promise to never say anything in front of Mark of what she told her.

"I told you I fell down." She couldn't look at either of them.

"You fell down all right. Probably after he hit you." Mark could hear his voice raising.

"What are you talking about?" she tossed right back.

Sara picked up a mirror and held it out to her. She instantly had some idea why. She grabbed it and looked. The game was up.

She reached up and covered that side of her face. She didn't say anything for a while.  
"I can handle it. I just have to handle him; I know I can change him. He loves me. He is a good man. I just get under his skin sometimes. I also was mouthing off at the time. As for the pills I don't take them very often. I have to stick this out. The fans expect us to be together and the gates show it. Even if I had a choice, if I don't do the job it costs the gate and takes money out of the boys pockets." She knew how lame that sounded.

"Handle him," Mark said shaking his head. "He is a 300 lb wrestler with a history of drug problems and abuse. One I warned you about. Whatever is going on he has done enough. You got hurt once because of him. Do you want to wait until he kills you?"

"That was an accident," she shot back.

"As for living with this for the business? That is wrong. The fans wouldn't want to see you like this. You are being paid to show up, do your gimmick and leave the character at the arena. As far as the pills go I have seen you take them every time our schedules cross. Doing what is right for you doesn't cost the gate. His mistakes cost the gate. Either you stop with him and the pills or I will go to Vince and let him know we have a problem. And I would love to see what he thinks of your theory for living like this." He didn't flinch. He had to see if the threat would work.

"We?" she started to cry. She grabbed her clothes and walked out of the room. She went into the bathroom and changed. She started to leave. Mark started to follow to continue this. Sara grabbed his arm. "Let it go for now and let everybody cool down." They heard a door slam and her car pull away fast.

They didn't speak for weeks. Angel did everything she could to avoid Mark. She even had Matt not show any affection towards her in the arena. At least not in the open. Mark didn't push the matter. Angel had to figure out for herself when the time was right and decide when she needed help. If that time ever came considering how stubborn she was. He was walking by the locker room one day and heard voices. He stopped when he heard Matt's voice putting forth a slew of swear words. He noticed that he didn't hear any opposing words from Angel. He fought his instinct to go in there and beat the crap out of him. Later he saw Angel hugging him and walking out of the arena holding his hand. Mark started really considering if it was worth the trouble. She didn't want help. And any help would be considered an attack. He didn't want to write her off as a wrestling tragedy but he had to face facts. If she wanted a friend he would be there but he wouldn't come to the rescue anymore if things got hot until she asked for help.

Now when he saw her and she was without Matt she was almost a different person. She rarely raised her eyes from the floor. She never talked to any of the boys. Tears instead of the laughter intended met any ribs they did to lighten her mood. Her ring performance was perfect. Matt had also improved. Whatever they were doing they were keeping it out of the ring.

He had tried to talk to her a couple of times but she only put her head down and walked away. Mark followed them to a hotel after an event. He noticed she never said a word and her head was always down when she was with him and Matt never let her out of his sight.

He saw her once more before a break in the schedule would split them up for a few weeks. She never said a word to anyone. She never raised her head. Her shoulders were down and turned inward. Rey came up from behind her to congratulate her on the great reaction they had in the ring that night.

He put his hand on her shoulder. She instantly jumped and stepped back raising her arms for cover and turning away almost in a defensive posture. Rey stood there shocked with his hands in the air. Mark saw this from a distance and almost jumped himself at her reaction.  
"Angel, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Rey had never seen that reaction from her.

"I'm sorry Rey. Too much caffeine today." She smiled and gave him a hug.

Matt walked in and saw them in an embrace. He grabbed her by the arm and swung her away hard. He started yelling and swearing at her. Mark started walking towards him with murder in his eyes. He noticed quickly he didn't need to do anything. Rey reached up and pushed Matt so hard he fell into the wall. Matt swung around to hit Rey but noticed he was backed up by at least 10 other guys and saw Mark coming on from the side.

"Don't you ever yell at her or touch her like that again." Rey screamed at him. Rey was much shorter than Matt but looked right up into his eyes. He stabbed a finger into Matt's chest. Matt slapped his finger away. He grabbed her arm and walked away.

The other boys shook their heads and walked away knowing what was happening and were all disgusted by the change they saw in this happy, generous, pretty young lady. Mark didn't see her again for a few weeks but they were scheduled for an event together in NY.

He heard word through the endless gossip mill backstage that she was more withdrawn and jumpy. A few of the guys had come to him to ask about her but he had to say he didn't know anything and hadn't spoken to her in a while. They all expressed their concerns. The more they saw the more they wanted to beat the crap out of Matt. Mark knew that if he crossed the line the guys would start getting more physical with him in the ring.

"Don't start anything guys. I tried to help but she didn't want it. Whatever is going on it isn't affecting business. She made it clear she wants to be left alone. Just keep your eyes open. If you see him touch her let me know and I will take care of him myself." They all shook their heads and understood. Again, it was protocol to stay out of whatever happened backstage. The only time it would be an addressable problem was when it affected business.

That night they were running late for the arena. They were supposed to show up an hour early for the arena or be fined. Angel was always on time. Matt could sometimes cut it close but since they had been together his schedule had gotten much better because of her organization.

He walked to the back of the arena to see if they were in yet. He saw a rental car speed around a corner and screech to a stop. Matt ran to the trunk as Angel was running in. She was running but not in a straight line. There was a distinct wobble with a few steps. He then recognized a look he hadn't seen since they first met. She was concentrating and not noticing anything around her. She started to run past him but he grabbed her arm.

He looked closely at her. Her face was pale white and she had dark circles under her eyes. They also had a glazed appearance. He had seen this look before. She was high.

"What in the hell are you doing?" he asked with a bit of a snarl.

"I'm trying to go to work if you don't mind." She looked him in the eye.

"You're going to work like this?" He was very angry by this point.

"I don't know what you mean." She lifted her arm out of his grip and ran towards the locker room.

Matt ran towards him. Mark stepped in his way.

"What's up Taker? I'm late, come on man. We can dance later." He tried to side step Mark who kept stepping in his way.

"What have you been doing?" He looked in Matt's eyes and saw the same look that was in Angel's, complete with the glaze.

"Nothing, come on, I'm really late." He took one more step and tried to walk past. Mark grabbed his arm and got right in his face.  
"If either of you ever come to work like this again, we will have to have a little man to man talk outside." His green eyes pierced through Matt.

"Anytime you think you can Mark." Matt shrugged his arm free and ran for the locker room.

Mark watched their match very intently. He was looking for any error or giveaway. They had a job to do for the fans. What co-workers did on their private time he might not agree with but he wasn't going to let it ruin the fans experience. He was the locker room leader and all the boys looked to him for leadership and guidance. It was his job to see things that were overlooked by the rulebook.

The only thing he saw that looked like a giveaway was a tiny trip Angel made stepping over the ropes. No fan would have noticed that. His match was early so he was showered and ready to go. He waited for them to walk behind the curtain. He made sure both of them saw him standing there. They walked past and grabbed hands.

Mark spent some time going over the match for the next house show. He pulled up to the local Marriott and got out his bag. He noticed Matt and Angel pull up as well. They met up at the front desk but didn't acknowledge each other. The hotel wasn't very busy so they were given rooms right next to each other. They rode the elevator together and didn't say a word.

He wheeled his bag to the door and started to unlock it. Matt stopped with his bag and hers and waited while she unlocked the door. Mark saw a paper bag in her hand and knew what was in that. He shook his head and went inside.

He called Sara and told her what he saw and more of the things he had heard. She didn't believe it. Or didn't want to.

"Why don't we try to get her to come up for a few days? You guys will have a few weeks off after tonight. Don't give up on her Mark. Too many people have done that already," she said in a hushed voice.

"I'll ask her but I think her boyfriend will object. What she said today was the first since she left the house. I doubt she would come. She isn't the same person anymore. Vince is starting to notice something isn't right. If they don't clean up soon they won't have a job." They said their goodbyes and he hung up the phone. He got ready for bed. He heard laughter through the thin walls. He lay down on the bed, which was no more comfortable than any of the others he was forced to sleep on. They were always half a foot too short. He was just about to go to sleep when he heard voices rising. He listened more closely now. He could hear Matt getting louder but couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Then he heard a door slam and loud footsteps going down the hall.

After a few minutes he thought he heard crying and then he heard a sickening thud. He knew that sound too well. It was the sound of a body collapsing on a hard surface. He shot out of bed and ran out the door. He knocked on the door but got no answer. He tried the doorknob and was surprised it was open. He opened the door and the room was dark. He flicked on the light and saw Angel lying on the floor. An empty bottle of Jack Daniels was near her outstretched arm.

He felt for a pulse and found a strong one. He picked her up and carried her to his room. He gently laid her on the bed. He could smell the alcohol all over her. He noticed a cut on her forehead and guessed she hit it on the way down. It wasn't bad but was causing blood to run down her face. He got a washcloth and started wiping her face. She never moved or made a sound despite his ministrations.

He wondered if she was only drunk. This was a far cry from the night he met her and it took her hours to nurse 2 beers. He knew Matt wasn't back yet so he went back to her room and shut the door behind him. He spotted her bag and Matt's on the floor. He opened the bag and started going through them. In Matt's he found his ring clothes, a change of clothes. He started pulling things out and found a tube. He knew what was probably in there. He opened the cap and there was white powder in it. He heard himself swearing as he kept looking. He found a bottle with pills that look like steroids. He also found a bottle of Oxycontin and a bottle of Lortab. In the bottom of the bag he found a small leather kit of some sort. He opened it up and found 2 small needles in it.

He started going through her bag and in the bottom he found a similar tube. He also found 2 bottles of Soma and 2 bottles of Oxycontin and Dilaudid. Those were heavy-duty painkillers and a lot of people using them ended up at Betty Ford or worse. He spun the bottle around and saw a prescription for them by two different doctors. He got enraged and started throwing the contents of his bag all around the room. He went into the bathroom and flushed the damn white powder and pills down the toilet.

He went back to his room.

It had been a hard night. She had to have been on something other than just alcohol. He had fallen asleep in the chair beside her. He heard a slight whimper and woke up right away. Angel had sat upright in bed and was backing up to the headboard in a terror he had never seen before. Whatever she thought she was seeing or had dreamed was obviously still with her and it was obvious she was not awake. She managed to get to the corner of the bed and was in a ball. He noticed her cut had started bleeding again. He reached out with the washcloth and she visibly winced and jumped. She started shaking.

"Calm down Angel, It's me, Mark. I won't hurt you." She looked at him with a look he knew meant she didn't recognize him. He tried to touch her arm to calm her down but she just rolled up further into a ball and covered her head. He could hear the headboard shaking from her grip. He kept trying to talk to her.

"You have a little cut on your head. I just want to wipe it off. I won't hurt you." He started to reach for her again very slowly but she started to try to run off the bed. He knew there was no way she would make it to the door and in her state she couldn't leave. She made it to the floor and the room was tilting. She started leaning to one side. He caught her and sat her down. She was still shaking. He saw a look in her eyes that only reminded him of primal fear. She never made a sound but she was trying to fight his embrace the whole time. She looked down at her leg and started scratching at it drawing blood with her long fingernails. She starting really fighting and he had all he could do to hold on to her arms and keep her from clawing herself further. She never screamed but he still saw the look of terror.

She finally spoke the first words in all this.

"Get off. No, don't touch me." He was horrified as he finally understood what she was remembering.  
"Come on. Calm down. You're just a little out of it. Things aren't like they seem right now." She started to slow her fight and become more aware of the things around her.

"It's ok. You know me. I wouldn't hurt you." She kept turning her head from side to side trying to find something that she could recognize. He just kept saying 'Angel it's ok' over and over until she finally stopped fighting.

She slowly looked up at him and started to recognize him. He let go of her and she put her arms up in front of her face. He slowly grabbed them and held them until she felt calm enough with him to lower them. She looked at him confused and unfocused. Finally she said something somewhat coherent.

"Sara?" she said in a small childlike voice.

"She isn't here. She's at home." He kept trying to speak in a calm tone.

"Home?" she said in a way that sounded like she didn't know what the word meant.

"Home. I'll take you to see her tomorrow. Sara wants you to come down for some girl time."

"Mark?" she looked him in the eye and finally knew exactly who he was.

"You're ok. You hit your head and had a little too much to drink." He grabbed the washcloth and started to wipe the blood off her face, which was smeared. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull it off. He held his hand in the same place until she let go.

As she became clearer so was the fact she was still very drunk or high but at least she wasn't hallucinating like she had been. She had no balance and kept swaying side to side.

"Matt?" she looked at him for the first time with no fear.

"He left. Did you have a fight?"

She simply looked at him like he was speaking another language.

"You can't keep doing this Angel. One of these days you will end up dead."

In a second of totally clarity she gave him a look and a shrug and that only said 'I don't care'. He knew what she was thinking and got angry all over again. This was not the same person. She was the complete opposite of the upbeat, positive, confident fighter he met that first night.

After a while of sitting on the bed just holding her like a child would cling to a parent he felt her relax her grip and he was the only thing holding her up. He laid her back down and slid her to the pillow again. He put a band-aid on her head and wiped her face and neck again. She was very hot so he lifted the sleeves of her t-shirt to wipe her arms. He saw two sets of fingerprints on her upper arms. He also saw the unmistakable marks of a needle. He felt the anger rise in him again. This was too quick.

An hour later he could hear Matt coming back to the room. From the bouncing noises he heard he guessed he was very drunk too. He waited to hear a knock on his door before getting up. Matt was at the door.

"Have you seen Angel? Someone ransacked our room," Matt said in a very slurred manner.

Mark put his hand out and pushed him out the door and next door to their room. He shut the door behind them.

"What now? We aren't working. This is personal and none of your business." Matt was putting on all the bravado he had and still fell at least 6 inches shorter than Mark.

"She is a friend of mine that makes it my business!" Mark snarled at him.

"Come on, you used to party. You were no saint. Besides, she's your friend and my girlfriend."

"And I at least figured out it was the wrong road. This is your warning. Keep your shit away from her. If she ends up like this again off time or in the arena, your ass is mine. If I find anymore marks on her you will have plenty of your own."

"I didn't do anything she didn't want," Matt said with a look of total arrogance. Mark was closer to hitting Matt than he had ever been. He was practically shaking with anger.

"In the morning, she is leaving with me. You two work together, fine. You want to be friendly, fine. Ruin your career if you want to. But if she ends up drunk or high again I'll knock your block off." Mark started to walk away.

"Like hell she is. She's my girlfriend and what are you but a has-been." Matt pushed Mark from behind.

Mark could hold his fury no more. He turned around and looked at someone he considered a friend for 10 years.

He clipped Matt with a single punch to the face that sent Matt flying over the bed. Matt got up and clumsily stumbled at Mark with his hand cocked. Mark hit him again in the stomach and the face. Matt fell to the floor. Mark reached down and grabbed his shirt. He pulled his hand back for another hit and knew it wouldn't matter because he was already out. Blood was already dripping down his nose. Mark picked up what clothes he knew were hers and her bag and left.

The next day they again flew to Houston. Mark tried several times to talk to her on the way. He offered to get her some help with only resulted in a disgusted stare.

"I don't need help. I can do it on my own." She looked back out the window.

"I've heard that before from too many people. You have to clean up now. I'm telling you. I have lost too many friends already this way. You are going down the road." He nudged her arm to make sure he had her attention.

"I'm not them Mark. I haven't been doing this for years and years. I don't take steroids. I only take pain pills. I drink once in a while. I take muscle relaxants for my back. I don't think a few months is long enough to be considered a problem." She was bordering on shutting him out completely.

"I found what was in your bag." She instantly looked at him with a mixture of shame and anger.

"I can't believe you went through my bag again," was the best she could come up with.

"Are you more mad about where I found it or that you got caught with it?" He had her there. She looked out the window again. Wishing she were anywhere but on that plane having this discussion.

"If I have a problem it's mine to take care of. Besides, I can quit anytime I want to." She said with a smirk.

"Yeah right. That's what they all say. Look, I am your friend. Sara is your friend. You have a family at work. What does he give you that we don't? And if you say love you are gone. That isn't love. You don't hurt people you love. You don't hit people you love. You don't give drugs to people you love." She continued to ignore him. He was at the end of his rope.

"Look. You're right. It's your life. But I won't sit back and watch you kill yourself. You have to choose. Which is more important to you. You have to choose, friendship and family, or Matt and drugs. And keep in mind that Vince has been watching him since the accident. If he doesn't clean up his act both of you will be without a job soon. If you don't clean up now you are going down a dangerous road. You could overdose yourself one of these days. Or one of these days he will take care of it for you. You don't have to take them for years to hit rock bottom. And I'm telling you, you are there." She continued to stare out the window. He saw a tear roll down her cheek before it was brushed quickly away. He didn't know if he got his point across or not. Either she was admitting there was a problem or in her mind, another person she cared for had betrayed her. When the plane landed Sara was there to meet them as usual. She noticed that neither said a word.

She refused to stay at their house. She called Vince and asked for a week or two off for personal problems and back pain. He asked a doctor to sign off on it. She knew she had no trouble there. The doctor had been on her to rest for quite a while. While Vince wasn't happy about it he knew she had been in pain lately by what he had heard from some of the boys. He had seen himself the difference in her walk to the ring.

She walked into her apartment and locked the door. She heard the phone ringing. She didn't answer it. Matt had been calling constantly as there were at least 2 dozen messages on her machine. She sat down on her couch and grabbed her purse. She slowly pulled out her wallet. Inside she took out the pictures she had cut out of magazines of the exotic places she had hoped to see. She let them fall in a flutter to the ground. She pulled out a small picture of her mother. It was one of few she had and the only one of them together. They sat at a picnic table. She was very young wearing an Easter dress while her mother held her in a loving embrace. She let that picture fall as well. She picked up the phone and made one call to Matt. She was surprised to get his voice mail since he had called her so many times. She left her message and hung up.

After several days of busy signals Sara finally convinced Mark they should check on her. He didn't want to go at first. He was still angry that she tuned him out when he was trying to help. If she didn't want help he wouldn't keep offering. He finally agreed when she said she would go with or without him. They drove to the apartment and saw a pile of newspapers. Her mailbox was full. They knocked on the door. There was no answer. They could faintly hear a television on and they knew she was there because her car was there. They knocked again. Finally Sara got out the spare key to the apartment and unlocked the door.

They went inside. They looked in the sparsely furnished living room and found it empty. Mark walked around not sure of what he was looking for. He almost expected to find pill bottles and mirrors lying on tables and chairs. He stopped when he looked behind the coffee table in front of the couch. He saw the clippings she had shown him that first night. He found the other picture too. He had only seen it one time when he managed to get her to talk about her mother and felt good that at least they were close. He gave Sara a concerned look and flipped the photo around for her to see.

They went from room to room looking for her. They checked the kitchen and saw no dirty dishes and no garbage so they knew she hadn't eaten. He saw the blinking number of her answering machine and knew she hadn't answered it in a while. He then noticed the cord had been pulled from the wall and the phone lay in two pieces on the floor. They slowly went to her bedroom and knocked on the door. They heard the television on. No answer. They knocked on the door again. They tried the door but it was locked from the inside.

"Angel are you in there? We just want to see if you are ok?" Sara said hopefully. They still heard nothing but the television.

"Come on and open the door. We just want to see if you are ok then we will leave if you want," he said louder. If she was asleep there was no way she couldn't have heard him. They tried a couple more times. Both of them were getting more and more concerned. Sara went outside to look in her window to make sure she was there. Luckily her window was just around the corner from the front door. She looked inside and saw a form on the bed. At least they knew for sure she was there. She went back into the apartment and nodded to Mark. He tried one more time.

"Open the door or I will kick it open." He gave her a minute then looked at Sara. It was better to replace a door than a friend. He took a step back and kicked the door hard with his boot. The door flew open. They saw her on the bed and hadn't moved even in spite of the sound of the wood cracking and slamming open.

They saw her wrapped in blankets. She was very pale and her eyes were closed. She looked much worse than the night he found her on the floor. Mark walked over to her and sat on the bed.

"Hey, are you ok?" He gently and slowly put his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes barely flickered and she didn't move. Sara went into the bathroom and called for Mark.

She was holding at least 6 empty pill bottles. Mark looked back in the room and saw a half empty water glass. He ran over and lifted her up.  
"What did you do?" She didn't answer. He shook her a little more and said much louder, "What did you do?"

For a moment he felt panic when she didn't move at all. In what seemed like hours but was really a moment she managed to whisper.

"I threw them away." He got a smile on his face and hugged her tightly for a second. He laid her back down. He could feel her ribs on her back when he hugged her. He knew she had lost more weight than before.

"When did you eat last?" She had already started to go back to sleep. He shook her lightly.

"Huh?" she managed to say.

"When did you eat last?" She looked at him. She honestly had no idea.

"I don't know." She closed her eyes again, he let her go back to sleep.   
Sara went to the kitchen to fix some soup or something. There was very little in the apartment to eat but she managed to find some.

They both had to hold her up to eat what little she could. She started to go back to sleep but they kept talking to her waking her up. After a few spoons she refused to try anymore. She lay back down and closed her eyes again.

"I want you to come to the house with us. You shouldn't be doing this cold turkey and you shouldn't be alone." Sara started packing a bag.

"I don't want any help," she mumbled.

"Damn it Angel, when are you going to realize we all need help?" She looked at him and at that moment she didn't care. After a long while she just nodded slightly. Her usual reaction when she knew it was a fight already lost. She would agree to help but never ask for it.

They took her to the house again. After a lot of talking they convinced her to go to the hospital. She was having no luck eating or drinking. She was sweating constantly. She was shaking most of the time. She had no strength left. She had to admit to go when she realized she could barely stand up without help. Mark called his personal physician and arranged for her to be seen at a local hospital.

They sat in the waiting room for at least 2 hours before the doctor finally came out. He sat down next to them and took a deep breath before starting to speak.

"She should be in a rehab facility. She is through the worst of it. She is slightly dehydrated, malnourished, exhausted and emotionally unstable," he said frankly.

"It can't be that bad. She hadn't been doing it for that long," Sara said unbelieving.

"It doesn't take that long. There had to be other factors at play here. Addictive personalities come from heredity, environment. You told me she has a family history of alcohol and domestic abuse. For some it doesn't take long. After a lot of probing she finally admitted to what she has been taking, and the list is fairy long." Mark and Sara knew but didn't know how bad.

"She has been abusing Oxycontin, Soma, Dilaudid, Cocaine, alcohol and apparently just started using heroin." He looked up and both of them had a look of shock on their faces.

"How long?" Mark finally managed to ask.

"The pills have been since the injury. As for the harder, drugs apparently not for long. But I can tell you with combinations like that it's a miracle she is alive. There are also other problems." He opened his chart.

"What problems?" Mark managed to ask.

"Has she been in an abusive relationship?"

Mark and Sara looked at each other. They both nodded.

"I have a feeling that is a big part of the problem. She has many healed injuries which in themselves would be enough to cause the pain she has been self medicating for besides the injury to her back and ribs that you told me about."

"What kind of injuries?"

"She has healed rib fractures, more than the 4 you accounted for. That may not be recent, that is lifetime. She has a healed broken finger; her forearm has a healing hairline fracture, which is fairly recent. She has had a recent slight concussion." Mark thought back to the bump he felt on the back of her head. "How this woman has been able to walk around normally and continue to work is nothing short of a miracle. She must be a very good actress to be able to perform in pain like that and have no one know."

"What can we do?" Sara managed to ask through the tears that were flowing.

"She is refusing rehab. She is refusing most help we have offered. My personal advice is to get her away from the person causing the problem. She is refusing to stay here. She keeps saying she wants to go back to work. I know she can't be alone right now. She is fragile, and severely depressed. I wouldn't leave any medications where she can get them. Until you see a shift in her moods once the withdrawal is gone, don't leave her alone for any length of time. She hasn't been on the harder drugs for long so the withdrawal will be mostly mental. I have seen cases like this where the first week after intervention results in a suicide attempt. She needs positive reinforcement and support. She is still in a lot of pain. She can have pain medication if it is monitored. She had developed a tolerance to the drugs she has been on that is why she has to take more and more. I will have to do some looking to see what our options are. She has lost some weight recently. She weighs about 90 lbs right now, which is low for her height. I would like to see her gain at least 10 to go back to work. Drug use affects appetite so you have to try to get her to eat often. Bring her back in a week. If she develops seizures bring her right in or call if you have any questions. After the rest of the tests come back you can take her home. I will give you a few drugs to help some of the pain but I suggest you keep them under lock and key until you know she is out of the woods. She will sleep a lot. She is severely exhausted. She has a hatred for hospitals and doctors so I think it would do more harm than good keeping her here. She will have mood swings and irritability. Don't take it personally. It is her way of venting what she is feeling mentally and physically." "Thanks doc. We will take care of her." Mark shook the doctors hand and he and Sara tried to compose themselves before going in.

They walked in to her room and sat down. No one said anything for a while.

"How are you feeling?" was the only thing Mark could think to say.

She gave him a look that said 'how do you think'.

"I'm fine," she said curtly and looked away. Mark and Sara exchanged glances.

"We talked to the doctor and you are going home with us for a while," he said quietly.

"Over my dead body." She looked him in the eye.

He felt a pain as though she had struck him. He knew humor was one way to her. One of the qualities he liked best in her was her sense of humor.

"That can be arranged. You are talking to the Deadman." He rolled his eyes in Taker style and she snickered.

"I just want to do this myself. I have to stand alone again," she said with all seriousness.

"You will. But right now you need help standing up," Sara chimed in.

Angel was quiet for a few minutes. They didn't say anything because neither of them knew what to say.

"How did this happen?" She asked, and her face showed nothing but hurt and confusion.

"It just happened. Let it go and move on. You are still the same person. You just took a detour. Get back on track." Mark tried to hold her hand but she pulled away. He didn't try again. She felt embarrassed by her reaction and could only nod.

The week had been rough for all of them. The only physical thing they noticed was her hands would shake a lot. They had a lot of trouble getting her to eat. After a while she noticed that she was never alone and that made her feel worse because the doctor must have warned them.

She was very moody and would lash out at any attempt to help. They brought her pills to her and watched her take them. Inside she was seething at the lack of trust. Only when she was alone did she think that she didn't trust herself. By the third day she was downright argumentative. Mark brought her a pill and her water. He watched her take it and put the glass down. In a moment of anger she threw the glass into the fireplace. She expected a reaction but got none, which only fueled her anger more.

"For crying out loud, afraid I might swallow the whole bottle?" Her face was red with anger.  
Mark looked down at her. Just as always he didn't pull any punches.

"Yes, I am." And he walked away. When he was gone she allowed herself to cry.

She tried to be alone and never was. She came out of her room and looked around. No one was there. She walked outside and sat by the pool. She was still smoking but wouldn't smoke in the house. She lit a cigarette and didn't finish the first puff and Mark was walking out with his newspaper and sat on a chair. She didn't say a word and went back into the house.

Getting her to eat was another battle. They would all sit down and she would take a bite or two and toss the food around the plate. She would arrange the items in a way that looked like she had eaten but they knew she hadn't. She would try to get up to leave the table.

"You have to eat more than that. Two more bites." Sara didn't give anymore than Mark did.

"I don't want anymore, stop pestering me." Her face grew red with embarrassment.

"You have to eat or you go to rehab. Don't forget you signed the proxy for us and I don't think we will have a problem getting the doctor to say you need decisions made for you." Mark kept staring at her in his most menacing way.

"I will be changing that proxy. I'm not a kid. Dammit!" she yelled and stood up.  
"Stop acting like one and eat," Mark said with a look that could kill. She still tried to walk away. He stood up and blocked her path. She couldn't go through him and looked him solidly in the stomach. She sat down in a huff and ate a few bites more. It only took a few times of that before she knew her tricks wouldn't work. By the end of the week she would finish half her plate at least.

Gradually she got better. As with her injury each day got better. By the end of the next week she was still edgy but was no longer nasty. She actually started laughing a little again. Each day she improved they loosened the reins a little. They stopped following her around even though she still felt their eyes.

One day she walked slowly to the pool. She was walking slowly as her back was hurting that day. She sat down slowly and lit her cigarette. She looked up at the blue sky and watched the birds fly overhead. After a few minutes Sara came out and sat beside her.

"This close to a clean getaway," Angel said.

"You are doing great. You look much better. Your hands aren't shaking as much. You are doing really well." Sara tried to offer compliments but usually she shrugged them off. This one seemed to hit home.

"Back to the land of the living," Angel said with a puff of her cig.

"We have to talk about a few things. Vince called and he knows about your problem." Angel started shifting side to side. She knew this was coming. She was about to find out she was out of a job.

"He says he is proud of you and when you come back he is going to wrap up the story with you and Matt. He is going to move you to someone else."

Angel looked up at her shocked. Someone else?

"I might better quit while I'm ahead. I can't face those people again. I'm obviously not cut out for this life," she said seriously.

"He is giving you another chance. He helps loyal people in his company. He knows about Matt and after the story he is releasing him from his contract." Sara knew she was getting upset.

"This is my fault. He is going to kill me." She started shaking again just thinking about Matt.

"No he won't. There isn't a guy in the company who will let him get away with anything." She handed Angel a few cards. She opened the first one. Every wrestler and road agent in the company signed it. There was a card from the technicians and support personnel. The last card was from Vince and Linda McMahon. Inside it said ' we are very proud of you. We can't wait to have you back in the family.' Tears smarted in her eyes. She put the cards in her lap as if she was handed a pile of gold.

"You have to get away from Matt." Sara was still staring at her in that serious way.

"I broke up with him the day I came home. He won't let me go that easy. He told me he would kill me or himself first." She didn't mention the swear words he used and the names he called her.

Sara was surprised and impressed.  
"You did the right thing. He has his own problems. They don't have to be yours. He has had these problems for a long time. You were just someone who tried to help him and you try to help too many people."

"Great help I turned out to be. I turned into my mother and worse." She couldn't look at Sara.

"Stop. She gave up on herself. You didn't. Everyone makes mistakes. You are no different." Sara reached out for her hand and she pulled it away. Angel noticed it and started shaking her head angrily.  
"How am I supposed to go out in front of thousands of people and entertain when I can't even let a friend touch me? I have never been afraid of anything. Now I am afraid of everything." She felt tears rolling.

"Why are you afraid of everything? Why don't you let anyone touch you anymore?" Sara almost knew the answer. The fact she turned red and looked at the ground confirmed it.

"He did other things didn't he?" Sara could feel the rage building in her as she often saw with Mark when he tried to hold it in.

"It doesn't matter," Angel managed to say.

"It doesn't matter? If that doesn't matter what does?"

"I don't know anymore. He doesn't even remember it. He never does. I don't think I will ever get back. I will always be afraid." She couldn't look Sara in the face. Sara paused and measured her words carefully.

"That will go away. You have been through a lot. Besides, you are still the same stubborn brat we have all come to know and love."

Angel smiled. "I wouldn't be here without both of you. I have to start standing up for me again. I will have to show him I am not afraid of him which is the one thing he feeds off with anyone." This admission surprised Sara.

During the next few days her attitude improved. She was showing some of the signs of the person they loved so much.

Sara and Angel had gone to the mall. Sara bought her a necklace with a charm on it. The charm was of an Angel.  
"When you don't think you can't handle something wear this and remember you can." She handed her the necklace and Angel almost choked on the emotion. She put it on and vowed she would never take it off unless she had to.

The following week Mark took her to Vince's office for the meeting with him, Matt and Angel. Mark wanted to stay but she asked him to leave. This was her problem to take care of. He sat outside and heard voices rising and a fist on the wall at one point. He stood to go in but knew Vince could handle himself and would call for help if he needed it.

"You two will have 2 more events together. One will be to lay the story down the second to end it. You are going out as a heel. You are going to do your story, say your lines and go. After that you are no longer welcome in this company or in any arena that we are appearing in." Vince said bluntly.

"This is bullshit. She is the problem here. She will screw anything walking. She is the one who fell apart and didn't show up to work. I did. She was the one who needed 'help'" he said the word with so much sarcasm she almost left. He knew that was one of the buttons to push.

"I screwed up, I paid for it. My first mistake was getting personal with you. My second mistake was listening to you. My third mistake was being with you. I don't plan on making those mistakes again. As for me screwing anything walking. At least I can. I heard steroids make you impotent. At least I know that one is true. Not to mention the fact it makes some things grow and some things disappear." She felt good. For the first time she stood up to him. Vince smiled to himself. That was one of the best comebacks he had ever heard. Not to mention the fact she totally emasculated Matt in the process. Matt became enraged and stood up to go after her. Vince was between them. She stood up so fast the chair beneath her flew backwards. She picked up a small metal statue of a wrestler that Vince kept on the table. She held it like a bat.  
"One more step and I will make sure you never work in wrestling again, anywhere," Vince said with a bluntness that made Matt stop in his tracks.

Matt stood there for a second. He started to laugh at both of them. He walked out and slammed the door behind him. He spotted Mark next to the door. Mark instantly stood up and got an inch from his face. He glared at Mark who was returning the look.

"Watch your back Mark. You made a big mistake," Matt said.

"Anytime you want to try you know where I am," Mark said back. Matt looked at him for another few seconds and turned to walk away. Mark waited for him to turn the corner and he went inside. He found Angel staring out a window and Vince on the phone to security downstairs. She still had the statue in her hands. He walked up to her. He put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched and jumped and swung the statue. He managed to grab it an inch from his face. As soon as she recognized him she started apologizing.

"Its ok. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that." He paused and tried to gauge how she was doing. "I wont let anything happen. He won't hurt you. I owe you one remember?" She looked at him for a second but couldn't find any words that made sense. She walked out of the office and sat down outside. Now that it was over she almost felt relief.

Vince hung up the phone.

"He is being shown to his car. She did great Mark. She even got him with a zinger I couldn't have thought up that fast." Mark smiled to himself. That was the fighter he knew. He knew she was back.

"We are wrapping the story up quick. She will only have to appear twice I think with him. We can fill in the rest with commentary. We managed to keep her problems out of the rags, we put out that she was injured in an accident at home, but if she shows up with someone else with no word there will be some digging. Besides. The polls show the fans are more for her than him anyway."

"I want someone with her at all times if I can't be. The hotels and the arenas." He could tell Vince was still pumped with adrenaline.

"Don't worry. From what I saw she can take care of herself." Mark gave him a look that puzzled Vince. But he knew. She could take care of herself. When she was sure of herself.

Vince called Angel by the end of the week. Creative had come up with a decent idea. The first meeting would have her come out first to the cheering crowd who would be excited about her return. He would stand there and seemingly get angry. He would have a match with Kane, his current nemesis. When Matt goes down for a major bump Kane would grab a chair to use on Matt. She would stand over Matt and grab the chair. Matt would get up and see her over him with the chair and 'assume' she was going to hit him. He would leave and leave her alone in the ring with Kane who would put her up for a chokeslam, but Rey Mysterio would come out for the save. This move would make Matt look more like the bad guy for leaving her there, knowing what Kane would do.

For the final match a few prerecorded 'conversations' between her and Matt would explain why she had the chair and he would seemingly believe her. She would come out first, the crowd would cheer. He would stand there and get angry about the crowd reaction. Towards the end of the match she would get up on the ring apron to help him. Kane would bring a rubber stick out to 'hurt' Matt. Matt would pull her between them. He would then leave to the outside of the ring while Kane tries again to chokeslam her. He would lift her for a chokeslam and she would give him a kick to the groin after which he would drop the stick. Matt would jump back in and pick it up to hit Kane with it but hit her instead. He would leave the ring with her alone again and 'out of it'. The crowd would boo. Rey would come in and help her. After the match Matt would give a speech saying he was sick of being screwed by the WWE and his manager and he would never return. This storyline was risky but it would give her time off again for Creative to team her up with someone else. She was afraid of his hit. She knew even a rubber stick had a sting to it, especially if he wanted it to hurt.

She had spent a few hours with Kane practicing. She had to learn how to go up for the slam and how to hold on. He had to see how long he could hold her up there safely. He even did one on a thick mat just in case something went wrong and he had to finish the move. He promised he wouldn't let go until she was no more than 6 inches off the ground if he did have to finish the move. When she hit it would be more like landing in a pool of water compared to the height the other guys got. She had total trust in him so she agreed and actually had fun that afternoon. She always liked him. He reminded her a lot of Mark. It was ironic they were played as brothers. As friends they practically were after all the time traveling together.

The first match was going to be in Philadelphia. Mark and Angel flew in together. She was nervous the whole flight. He didn't want to say anything but he tried to offer a few words.

"Nothing will happen. Security will be around the ring and you will have one of us with you all the time backstage. Kane said he wouldn't let anything happen in the ring." He could tell it didn't help.

"I'm not afraid of him anymore. I am afraid of the fan reaction. I am afraid I can't perform. I will do what I have to if he comes at me. I stopped being afraid of him at Vince's office." She reached in her bag and took out one of the cards Sara had given her.

"I heard what you said to him. That was a good one." He smiled and tried to imagine how mad Matt got.

"You had to be quick in my family," she said smiling back.

They landed and Mark rented a car. They drove together to the arena. He even let her smoke with the windows open. He knew she had put her other addictions to bed. This one would be next. Of all of the drugs he figured he would rather see her do this and quit later as opposed to the other ones she was taking. Even though he was coughing off and on to the arena.

They arrived and he carried her bag. She took a deep breath and stopped at the door. She seemed almost frozen in her tracks. He nudged her to open the door and she did. They walked in and were met by a group of the boys clapping for her. She started to cry and hugged as many as she could. They saw the old Angel was back and were happy for her. She had a few moments alone with Kane. Just like some people felt with Mark calling him Taker even out of the ring, she felt more comfortable calling him Kane out of the ring instead of Glenn. The character had become part of him just as Taker did to Mark.

"I won't let him do anything Angel. If I see him go for a hit I will be there in a second. He won't get a second shot."

"One will probably do." Kane looked at her shocked. Then she got a huge smile and a laugh. She hugged him and told him it was ok. She said she didn't think he would do anything in front of 15,000 people when he never did things to her in front of anyone outside of the ring.

After a long while she started getting ready for the match. She hadn't seen Matt since she got there. She had started changing her costumes before she left before. She was trying to leave behind the white starlet dresses and sometimes came out in black, sometimes in jeans. But no matter what she still looked beautiful and the men of the crowd would still cheer. She had been leaning away from black because Matt hated it. He though it distracted people from him. Tonight she picked out a tight black dress with a cutout in the back. She knew that made him the most jealous when she wore it.

She dressed and waited for Mark. He finally came and told her Matt was at gorilla. He walked with her. He gently grabbed her hand to give her reassurance. He could feel her hand shaking.

"You will be ok. All of us are watching in the back. Vince has double security out there." He squeezed her hand a bit.

"I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm afraid the crowd won't respond." She kept looking at the floor almost counting every step. He was proud of her. She had come so far. And just like she cared more for others, right now she cared more for the business than herself.

They walked up to gorilla. She saw his back and saw the Renegade symbol on the back of his leather jacket. She felt her necklace and put it under her dress. She took a breath and walked up to him. She looked at him for a second before getting in front of him with an attitude. He looked at her in the dress he hated and could feel the anger burn on the back of his neck. He never said a word.

Mark stood back and waited for the music to start. She hesitated and didn't walk right out. He was willing her to move especially before Matt moved her. She finally took a step.

The crowd, who had been used to seeing Renegade alone, erupted when they saw her come out behind the curtain. She had come out with her best fake smile that suddenly turned into a real one. They had missed her and were glad to see her. Matt came out from behind the curtain and anyone standing close could tell he wasn't acting irritated. He was downright seething with anger and hatred.

He did his expected bit of waiting and walked past her.  
"Come on bitch, time to earn your trick." He said to her only loud enough for her to hear.

The match went as expected. He fought with Kane who was giving him some stiff shots. They never really got along anyway and the situation with her made it more so. He was almost thankful that Vince put him in the last 2 matches. He had 2 chances to get in shots that he felt were deserved.

Matt took his bump as planned. She rolled in the ring as planned. When she grabbed the chair the arena erupted. The guys in the back could feel the vibration of the noise. There had been so few times she had been anything more than a meek Elizabeth. Now she was more than a pretty doll.

Matt lay there longer than was planned. She turned her head to look and see what was taking him so long. He was going out of his way to make her look awkward. He slowly got up and starting swearing at her. The anger was planned but the cursing was not. He was supposed to make it look good. The words were heard by the front row that by this time looked truly shocked. Even the boys in the back could read his lips because the monitors had no sound. He walked up and got in her face. He was still swearing at her.

The boys all sat there waiting to see if he went too far. This went on for a minute when it was only supposed to take a few seconds. Mark started to get up as it looked like he was going to blow it.

Finally he stopped screaming at her and gave her the finger and rolled out of the ring. That part had not been planned either. He went to the back and ignored the guys who were standing there with murder in their eyes.

In the ring Angel was doing her part. Kane came towards her. She still had the chair in her hands. She held it up menacingly as he reached out and tried to touch her. She kept walking around the ring until he had her in a corner. She swung the chair as hard as she could onto his back like they taught her. The crowd erupted again. He didn't react to the chair as planned. He grabbed the chair and threw it.

He reached out and grabbed her by the throat and raised her up. She had all she could do to hold onto his arms to hold herself up there. She was doing some good facial expressions and saw Rey running. She heard the crowd scream even louder than before. He ran in and hit Kane with a chair. The sound could be heard by most close by but not by many in the arena because of the screaming. He let go of her and she fell. She tried to get her legs up under her for the drop but she wasn't ready for the height of the fall. The fact she had on 2-inch heels didn't help. She landed on her butt, which sent pain shooting throughout her back. She sat on the mat and tried not to scream as she watched almost 7 feet of Kane go after the 5'5" Rey. He kept swinging the chair over and over until Kane went down to one knee. He swung the now bent chair one more time and hit him on the head. Kane went down and didn't move.  
Rey went over to her and asked her if she was ok. She said yes but he saw the pain in her eyes. He waited a second before helping her.

"Are you ready?" he whispered. She nodded and gritted her teeth as he helped her up like a gentleman. The crowd response was immense. It was much more than anyone had hoped for. He held onto her for the walk. No one in the arena could tell he was carrying her more than helping her. He had her arm in such a way and was so strong; her feet were practically not touching the floor. To her credit she played her part all the way to the back.

Once they got behind the curtain she looked up to see Mark and the boys there. They knew as soon as she went down it was wrong. They also saw the way Rey had to help her that she was hurting. Rey helped her to the dressing area and helped her sit down. Mark was bending over her.

"Want me to get the EMT's?" He was very concerned.

"No, just give me a minute." She closed her eyes. The pain was better now. Kane finally got to the back and followed the voices until he found her.

"Are you all right? I should have lowered you more before letting go. God, I am so sorry. That last shot got me and I just let go." She looked up into his eyes. His head had a spider web of blood that was the result of the chair. She knew it was business but it made her feel good to think he would take that kind of hit to push her.

"You didn't do anything. I'm fine. I didn't have my feet ready and it is hard to land in these damn heels. This is the last time I am wearing them, I don't care what wardrobe says." She smiled and grabbed his hand. "I'm really ok," she said again and he walked away to take a well-deserved shower.

The boys all congratulated her on the night, and her bumps. They had to admit she was as tough as they are. One by one they left. When she was alone with Mark she finally had time to come down.

"Are you ok with whatever he was saying?"

"He used some words I never heard of before. He's an asshole. I thought for a second he might try something but I knew with Kane there and a lot of witnesses he wouldn't." she took her heels off and threw them across the room. One went out the door and she saw Edge duck just in time. He popped his head around the door.

"Sorry." She laughed. He looked like a lost puppy dog and he started laughing too. She took her shower. She loved this part of the night. Being under all those lights even makes a lady sweat like Meatloaf. She also loved getting her stage makeup off and get into her street clothes. She stood under the hot shower for a while and came out. Some of the Divas were in the room and all of them welcomed her back. Lita was back there too and gave her a long hug once she got dressed. Lita was so far from her character in real life Angel had to stifle a laugh. Angel went back to the shower to get her toiletries and they saw how she was walking. She was hunched to one side and her one foot was almost dragging.

Lita left and stopped by to say goodbye to Mark.

"You better check her. She can barely walk. Her sciatica must be pressed because she is dragging." He tapped her on the shoulder for the heads up.

Angel finally came out. She had her bag on one shoulder. Mark could tell she was really trying to walk straight. He grabbed her bag and started walking with her.

"Where's Matt?" She hadn't seen or heard of him since the ring.

"He left. He came back, grabbed his bag and left in his ring clothes." He helped her into the car.

They drove to the hotel. They decided to stop by the bar for a drink before calling it a night. She sat there drinking a cola. He did the same, as he didn't think it was a good idea to drink in front of her. She might be able to handle a drink someday but not today.

"Sara is coming up for Friday night in LA."

Angel raised her eyebrow. "Is she coming for you or to be my bodyguard?" she snickered.

"She knows how you feel about this and him. She wants to be there for you. Besides, she owes me dinner." He took a sip of his soda and tried to make it took macho.

"Dinner for what?"

"I bet her that you would lay his ass out in the ring. I lost." They shared a laugh.

He went upstairs with her and watched her walk again. He knew for sure she was hurting. But she covered her pain as well as he did his.

"You need a pill?" he asked. He knew she was carrying a few in case she had trouble. She took out a few and handed him the bottle.  
"No. I just need to lie down." He was proud of her. "I do wish I had a drink though, a real one." He smiled at her and shook his head.

She finally got to lie down. The pain wasn't so bad now. Or she had learned to deal with it better than she had before.

They flew into LA on Friday morning. Angel spent most of her time alone at the hotel. Mark and Sara didn't bother her; they left her alone all day. They knew she was nervous. All she had to do was get through tonight and he was out of her life.

They came to get her about 2 hours early. They wanted to stop and eat before going to the arena. She was unusually quiet the whole time. The whole meal she never said a word and never ate a thing. One of them had to say something.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked.

She looked at them for a few seconds and lowered her head. They had seen that look before. After a minute of silence they knew what was wrong.

"What did you take?" Mark asked exhaling loudly.

She didn't answer. Sara knew she might have a slip and so did Mark. That was expected, but unless she admitted to it the cycle would start again. Mark and Sara stared at her. She started to stand up. He reached out to touch her arm but stopped himself.

"Sit," he said in his stern voice he used during her rehab at their house. She sat down. There was no defiance, just shame.

"What did you take and when?" He waited for her answer.

"I took two of my pills and had 2 shots at the bar early about 4 this morning," she said quietly.

She waited and waited. She expected him to blow up. Or at least shout at her. He just looked at her in a disappointed way. That alone made her feel worse than she already did.

"Why?" he said after a while.

She thought of her words before she said them. It was a trait he saw in her more and more. She was thinking instead of reacting, which was a good thing.

"I'm nervous about tonight. Scared is a good word. I was hurting." She reached up and touched her necklace. She felt she had betrayed its meaning.

Mark took a deep breath and tried to stifle his rising anger. He started speaking in a calm tone. Yelling at her would do no good. If this were her moment of choice again, he would scare her off with losing his temper.

"I told you before. This is your life. Everyone makes mistakes. I told you that you have to choose. The same applies. We are here, but we wont be if you start that again. You have all the support in the world here and at work. You could have died the first time. I won't be here to watch you do it." He saw tears rolling down her face. He slowly reached over and brushed them away. Both he and Sara noticed for the first time she let someone touch her during a moment of emotion.

"I won't. I just hurt so much," she started to say.

"No excuses. If you make it ok this time it will be ok for the next reason. Taking one pill for pain is one thing. You know the difference now. You knew it wasn't right and admitted to it. You never would have before." She nodded her head. It was 4 in the afternoon and he knew the effects of it would be worn off by now. They headed for the arena.

She was very quiet on the drive there. She sat in the backseat and watched the cars and buildings go by. They pulled up to the back of the arena. She saw fans on both sides of the wall that kept them away from where they went in. Before they got out Mark turned to her. She normally would have laughed because his head almost touched the ceiling. This time she just looked at him in a sad way.

"What happened earlier is the past. Get through tonight and him and your old life is gone." She nodded and opened the door of the car. The fans started yelling and clapping as she got out and it got louder when he got out. She would never get used to that. People loving her with no motive or reason. She waved and they walked in together.

She spent most of her time alone in the dressing room. Sara went in with her from time to time. She started getting dressed.

She was going to kill the old Angel tonight. When she came back from this she would be a slightly different character and tougher in the ring. She put on a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. She put on her favorite pair of boots. She looked more like a girl from Mark's earlier gimmick as the American Bad Ass than she did the Guardian Angel. Sara watched her put on her thick stage makeup and tried talking with her. Vince came in.

"How are you doing?" he said gruffly.

"I'm fine. A little nervous though." She knew that was obvious. Her hands were shaking again.

"He is here. We have security outside the door here and his dressing room. The only thing we have to worry about is in the ring. We had a stick made that is softer and looser than usual. Even if he really lays into it, it shouldn't be too bad. More like a bee sting. You might have a headache but no damage. It's under the ring, and Glenn knows which side. He will have an escort when its over and we have a lot of good ideas for you when you come back." He reached out and gave her arms a squeeze. Sara caught the slight jump when he touched her but that was an improvement from her literally backing away.

She muttered a 'thanks' before he turned to walk away.

"I like the outfit. We will have to work on that." He said with his best promoter smile. She was surprised. He was the one who wanted her to look like a Barbie doll.

The hour went by fast. Mark was not main event tonight so Vince put his match in the first quarter of the card. That would give him plenty of time to get showered, dressed and ready to get her out of there as soon as her match ended if they had to.

Sara spent the last few minutes with Mark. She knew Angel needed time alone. She walked in after he dressed from his shower.

"You shouldn't leave her alone," he said warningly.

"I trust her. She needs a few minutes alone. We can't watch her every minute. Besides. I think you got through today." She sat down next to him. She put her arms around him.  
"I hope so," he muttered returning her embrace.

Mark came to get her just as before. They took the long walk and she counted the steps like before. This time, she didn't stop when she saw him. She gave Mark a look of attitude and walked up to him and stepped in front of him. She didn't look at him this time. She knew she had pushed a few buttons the last time. She wanted this to be as simple as possible. Matt never said a word.

They heard the music start and she didn't hesitate. She walked right out the curtain and the fan reaction was mixed. They expected this. They had been running promos where she explained her side and the fans weren't happy he left her or that she was back with him. They walked to the ring. Mark and the boys were all watching in the back. He noticed a little stumble on her part. She was walking a little funny but he knew her back hurt. He also knew that walking down a slippery ramp in boots was not the easiest thing to do, it was probably as hard as it was in high heels. She got in and she was supposed to hold the ropes for him like any other manager would. She didn't. Even though she wanted this to be easy she couldn't bring herself to do it for him. He had a look of hatred in his eyes.

Kane's music started and he walked out. When the lights went off for his red light and pyro entrance he walked up to her. He shot her the worst look he could manage. She gave him one right back although she couldn't tell if it did any good since she could barely see him. She did hear a few swear words pointed in her direction.

Kane made his way to the ring. He got an assortment of boos from the crowd for what he did to Angel. But that was his job as the heel, to make the crowd hate him. This night they truly did.

The match started as planned. Kane was still throwing stiff shots. This time Matt was returning them. Angel had never actually seen a shoot before but this had to be as close to one as you could get. The boys in the back knew it too. They made noises and gasps at every blow that connected.

The match was supposed to be 20 minutes, which was longer than usual, Vince liked to keep them around 15. The match went as planned. The last move Kane was going to do before he would go for the stick was the chokeslam. He lifted him up and dropped him. Kane dropped out of the ring to get the stick. He reached under the apron and got it. She had rolled into the ring as expected. She bent down to 'help' him. She could hear him mutter swear words at her but she stayed focused. Kane came in the ring. He followed her around for a minute while Matt got to his feet.

Kane swung back for the hit as planned. Matt grabbed her and pulled her in front of him as planned. He dug his fingers into her upper arms harder than he ever did during a fight. She hissed in pain but didn't break character. Matt pushed Angel at him. He wasn't supposed to do that. She hit him hard in the stomach and he tried his best to catch her and still make it look like it was supposed to happen. He turned her around and grabbed her with one hand for the chokeslam. He glared at Matt the whole time. He lifted her up. She held on as before. When she felt like she had no more strength she pulled her leg back for the kick. Luckily he was so tall that her leg was in the right spot. She was afraid she would kick him in the stomach. She swung hard and stopped the momentum as much as she could before actually making contact. Kane lowered her a bit before letting go of her and the stick. The crowd erupted into shouts and applause that could be heard all the way into the back stage area. The kick looked so good even the guys in back let out a gasp when she connected. This time she landed on her feet. She wobbled back to the corner. The crowd went wild. Again, the vibration could be felt in the back.

This was the part she was afraid of. She saw Matt pick up the stick. She closed her eyes and waited. He raised his arm as if to hit Kane. Kane at the last second ducked out the way as was planned. Matt smiled to himself. He pulled his arm back and swung. A crack could be heard in the air. She went down as planned and she didn't move again for the rest of the match. He hit Kane on the arm with the stick and he grabbed his arm with a look that said nothing but surprise. No one in the back said anything. They weren't sure how far they had planned to go. They knew he couldn't do much with the rubber stick Vince ordered.

Vince started yelling.

"He's not supposed to do that. He wasn't supposed to touch Kane. Get security down there!" All the boys started running. Matt stood over her and hit her on the arm and chest with the stick. He saw Kane coming at him and hit him again on the side of his head. Kane fell like a ton of bricks. Matt looked down and saw her necklace. He knew she didn't wear jewelry unless it meant something to her. He grabbed it and ripped it from her throat. He gave her one hard kick to her leg,

Rey was already at gorilla waiting for his cue. When he heard Vince yell, he looked through the curtain and ran as hard as he could. The agents held the boys back. If they went down to the ring it would destroy the whole angle. Mark was already running towards gorilla. He knew if he went out there again it would take away from the angle and taint her return. He saw security running through the back and wished they were in one of the arenas that the ring was closer.

Rey ran down to the ring. He immediately jumped on Matt and knocked the stick out of his hands. He started punching as hard as he could. They both landed in a heap with Rey on top punching his face and arms and anywhere else his fists could land. Before he could do much damage security jumped in and subdued him. Security had to peel them apart.

Rey continued to fight even though 3 men who were bigger than him were holding him. The crowd was on its feet by now; slowly realizing what was going on. They were in a frenzy. With each punch Rey managed to get in they became more vocal.

Vince ran down the aisle and screamed for security to get him out of there. They were pulling Matt to the back. Once they got him to floor they handcuffed him and took him out of the arena. Vince was ready for this just in case he got out of hand. Take him to the police station if it got out of hand and he would decide there what to do. He was also afraid the boys would kill him if they got their hands on him.

Rey looked and saw Angel still lying in the corner. He shrugged off the hands holding him. He ran over to her. She lay there with her eyes closed. He bent down and whispered in her ear.  
"You ok?" She opened her eyes slightly and nodded. They had planned on EMT's to come out and make her look injured to give her the time off Creative needed.

They came down to the ring. They weren't real EMT's. They were local actors Vince hired. They pulled the gurney to the ring. Many wrestlers had been carted off by the same gurney over the past few years.

Rey kept trying to talk to her. Once she put her arms toward her chest. He knew that stick had a sting to it. He was looking at her and noticed a small stream of blood down the side of her head. It wasn't a lot. He must have hit hard. It would have taken a hard hit to break the skin. He took off his armband and tried to wipe it off. He saw a cameraman there and looked directly into the camera. He knew the guys in the back were watching. The only time they looked right into the camera was when the story or character dictated it, or if there was something wrong. He kept talking to her and asking if she was all right until the EMT's got there. Once he got a strong response from her that almost shocked him.

"I'm ok damn it. Just leave me alone." He knew she was probably running on adrenaline and didn't realize what she was saying.

The fake EMT's put her on a board and pulled her to the back. Rey held her hand the whole way. Once behind the curtain everyone crowded around the gurney. She kept saying she was all right. Rey looked up at Mark and flashed his armband. Mark started parting her hair and found it. It looked like a scratch. Matt must have done it somehow.

Kane came stumbling back. He was holding his arm. He too was wobbling.  
"That bastard must have swung that damn stick hard. Where is the son of a bitch?" Vince came up and told him he was already gone. He checked on Angel and went to take his shower.

After a few minutes she got up off the gurney. With help she walked to the dressing room. She was shaking. Mark and Sara knew that was her sign of nervousness, but the others saw it as fear. After a while the boys left. Mark and Sara walked in to talk to her. She was holding her head in her hands.  
"You ok?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," she answered. It was almost slurred. Mark wrote it off as nervousness.  
"They took him to the police station. In a few hours they will let him go. That should give you time to get on the plane. You did it. We are going to hang around here until we can get some extra security to leave, probably less than an hour. You have plenty of time to shower and change. You did it." He hugged her. She looked at him and didn't say a word. He figured she needed some time alone.

One by one the boys left. Angel and Matt were the last match and the main event. Besides a few security guards there were only a few of the boys left and Vince.

Sara sat with Mark for a long while. She asked how Angel was and how it went. He said she seemed ok. Maybe a little hurt but not that bad. She got up to go check on her.

She walked the long hallway to the girls' dressing room. She saw Angel walking out the door with her bag. She was still in her ring clothes. She immediately thought that was odd. She knew how much Angel loved getting out of the sweaty ring clothes. She also still had her heavy makeup on which she also knew she hated. She watched her take a few steps and bounce off the wall slightly. Sara walked up and touched her shoulder. She noticed that Angel didn't react at all.

"Hey, are you all right?" Sara looked at her eyes and saw they were almost black instead of the sky blue she was used to seeing. Her pupils were almost totally dilated. She didn't say a word and walked towards the door. Sara kept trying to talk to her.

"Where are you going?" She grabbed her arm and stopped her motion. Angel looked at her with a look of total confusion.  
"I have to get to JFK for my flight," she managed to say but it was totally slurred and almost indecipherable.

"JFK? We aren't in NY Angel, we are in LA." Angel looked at her like she spoke another language.

She started walking again and they were at the exit to the back of the arena. Angel again bounced off the wall. Sara kept trying to talk to her. Any answers she got were slurred at best.

"I have to go home," Angel said in a moment of clarity.

"You can't drive like this. Besides Mark has the key." Angel stopped and looked up at the sky. She didn't know where she was at all. Sara started to suspect she was high. This was similar to things Mark had described.

"Stay here. I will go get Mark and we will go back to the hotel." Sara leaned her against the wall near the door.

Angel mumbled something and all Sara could make out was flight.

Angel took another step and stopped. She looked at Sara and touched for her necklace. She felt it wasn't there. She bent over with her hand on her knees tried to get her bearings. She always had her will to keep going. Once she felt that the necklace was gone she felt her will leaving too.

"Sara?"

She barely heard her. "What's wrong?" Sara reached down and moved her hair out of the way.

"Help me." She said never looking up. Sara almost couldn't believe what she heard. It was 2 words she thought she would never hear. She turned around and looked for someone, anyone. There was no one. No fans, no security, no one.

"Stay here. Do you understand? Don't move. I will get Mark." She gently shook Angel until she got a nod. She leaned her back up against the wall. "Stay right here until I get back. Do you hear me?" She shook her again until she got another nod.

Sara ran as fast as she could to the dressing room. She was screaming Mark's name the whole time. He heard her and came out to see what was wrong.

"What!" he said meeting her in the hall.

"You have to come here. Angel is really out of it. She is still in her ring clothes and keeps saying she has to go to JFK. She can't walk. Her eyes are dilated. She isn't making any sense. She is trying get to the car to drive home. Something isn't right. I don't know if she's hurt or…" Sara was breathless by this point.

"Does she look high?" Mark asked. He was bordering on anger as he had seen this before.  
"I don't know. It looks like she might be but something isn't right." Sara grabbed him and started pulling him towards the exit.

"If she is high I don't want anymore to do with her. I have had it." Mark said in a way that gave Sara chills.  
They ran to the back door. Angel wasn't where Sara had left her. The parking lot was dark, as the sun had gone down hours ago. They scanned the lot expecting to see her wobbling down towards the street. Rey and Show came out. They were sharing a room and were leaving together. They saw Mark and Sara looking.

"What's up?" Rey asked. Even Sara wasn't used to seeing him with his mask off.

"Angel is whacked out. Sara left her here. We have to find her."  
"Is she high?" Show asked. Everyone knew of her problems but he also knew it was common in the business.

"She might be," was all Sara could say. They all went looking. Each went in a different direction. She couldn't have gotten far. After a minute Mark heard Show yell his name. They ran over and he was holding her bag in the air. They were near the cars now. She couldn't be far away. Each one of them kept looking off in the distance looking for any movement. Mark felt his insides twist when he heard Rey scream for them.  
They all ran and saw him kneeling next to her between two cars. She was lying face down. Her arms were under her as if to try to catch herself. Just like before she tried to make it to the car. Show picked her up and carried her back into the arena. She made no sounds, and there wasn't any movement. Rey had called 911 on his cell phone and the ambulance was on its way. They all tried talking to her with no response. Show laid her on a table near the door that had earlier held coffee and donuts. They saw a scrape on the side of her face that had to have come from making contact with the car. She didn't have it before. Rey handed him a handkerchief he kept in his pocket and Mark tried to wipe it gently on her cheek. He noticed a small trickle of blood was running from her ear to her mouth from the angle she was laying. He wiped it off and put it down to the cut he saw earlier. Mark and Sara were holding a hand and they all were wishing for some movement, or at least a moan. There was nothing but sickening silence.

"I can't believe she did this again. This is basically what she looked like on the floor of the hotel. She must have been lying to us all afternoon. And in the dressing room." He looked up at Sara shaking his head. "This is it Sara. I mean it. I have given her too many chances already. We will make sure she is ok then we are leaving and she is staying here." She looked at him almost disbelievingly. She knew he was frustrated with her before but didn't think he would ever turn his back completely.

The ambulance showed up and by then Vince was out there.  
"Is she high?" he asked Mark.  
"I don't know," he managed to say. As angry as he was with her he didn't want to tell Vince right then. It was her place to admit the problem not his.

"If she is that's it," was all Vince had to say and walked away.

Mark rode in the ambulance with her while Sara, Rey and Show drove there. He watched with concern as they started an IV and put a collar on her. It felt like the longest ride of his life. About halfway there she started shaking violently. The paramedics started rushing around her as best they could in the confines of the ambulance. Mark wanted to help but knew he had to stay out of the way. He heard the driver get on the radio and call the hospital.

"Patient is having a grand mal seizure." He watched helpless as the paramedics put a bite block between her teeth and try to keep her from hurting herself further. When they finally got there all he could do was stand there and watch her be wheeled away. He looked down and saw he still held the red marked handkerchief in his hand. The time he stood there alone until the others showed up was the longest 10 minutes of his life.

Hours later they still sat in the waiting room. A doctor finally came out. "Could I see Mark or Sara Calaway?" They both stood up. He looked up at Mark and again at Rey and Show noticing what an odd combination all of them were. "Follow me," he said gruffly.

They went into a small room. The doctor shut the door behind them.

"She is in critical condition and she is in a coma." They both looked at him with mouths open. This wasn't what they expected. They expected to hear she was coming down and would go home.  
"What? How much did she take?" Mark asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What do you mean?" the doctor said.

"How much did she take? She had a drug problem a month or so ago." The doctor looked at him very confused which only infuriated Mark more.

"Mr. Calaway, she only has traces of any drugs in her system. Her blood alcohol level is zero and she has slight traces of painkillers. The only thing that showed up in her blood work that was recently taken was Tylenol." Mark stood there even more confused.  
"Then what's wrong with her?"

"Has she been in a fight or an accident?" the doctor asked slowly.

"We work for WWE. She was in a match tonight at the arena. She got hit with a soft rubber stick."

The doctor looked at him carefully. He thought he recognized them as he had worked on wrestlers once or twice before. He took a breath and waited to measure his words carefully.

"She has a skull fracture and a hairline fracture of her upper arm and collarbone. A rubber stick didn't cause that. She also has bad bruising on her upper arms from a strong grip. Was she bleeding at any time?" Mark couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"She was bleeding a little bit near her hairline. I saw the cut, she wasn't bleeding enough for a skull fracture."

"It's a myth that you have to have large amounts of blood to accompany a skull fracture. She does have a laceration on the back of her head. That probably happened after she fell outside. We found the scratch you saw. That is the spot of the fracture. She had a black shirt on and has dark hair so it wasn't noticed. Not even by the paramedics until we lifted her off the gurney. Has she had a concussion recently?" Mark nodded his head yes. "Her skull fracture is in the front so we know that was caused by a blow with a blunt object. There is some swelling of the brain. We are going to do more tests and see if it swells further. We put her on a ventilator as a precaution. If her condition worsens she would need it anyway. We are doing what we can but we don't know how it will go." The doctor closed the chart.

"You have to be wrong. She was walking around and talking after. She said she was fine. She was acting a little spacey is all. She said she was fine." Mark started pacing.

"These things aren't always immediate. A lot of people will be fine after a car accident and die hours later. If she was walking around it was either the swelling wasn't that bad yet, or she had a tremendous constitution. We are moving her to ICU. She can have 2 visitors at a time. You are listed as her proxy so you will be allowed unrestricted visiting. We will be moving her within the hour. I will call you when we do."

Mark stood there. He didn't know what to say. He was cursing himself for assuming she was high. He was angry with himself for wanting to leave her when he thought she was. Sara knew what he was thinking. She was feeling the same way. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"The last thing she said to me was 'help me'." This almost made the whole situation worse. For the first time she saw tears in his eyes. Sara walked out and told the boys how she was. Rey in particular had tears in his eyes.

"She told me she was fine. She said she was ok. I should have known. She never moved after the hit. I should have known then. I should have helped her more or held her neck or something instead of wiping a scratch." He walked away from her and started pacing. Sara caught up with him.   
"None of us knew. She is very stubborn. She wouldn't have admitted to needing help in front of the crowd if she could help it. She probably thought she was all right. She did ask me for help just before you found her. That was the first time I think she has ever asked for help from anyone." Rey stopped and looked at her. He was trying to hold his emotions in. She grabbed him and hugged him hard.  
"She just gave me a toy for Dominick's birthday. I just talked to her about appearing for a charity event of mine. She said she was all right and now she might die?" He held her. She could feel his quiet sobbing that was hidden by her shoulder.

After many hours Rey and Show left. Rey called every few hours for updates.

Mark called Vince at the arena to see what was going on and to make sure he knew how she was. He didn't want to explain on the phone but her reputation was in the air by how she left and wanted Vince to know she was totally clean. He also had a few questions. After the initial "hello" Vince got unusually quiet.

"We just found Glenn," Vince said in a very quiet voice.

"What do you mean found him?" Mark almost screamed in the phone. Sara grabbed his arm.

"He passed out in the shower. We were so busy with Matt and Angel no one checked on him until they were closing up. He is on his way there. The EMT's say it looks like a concussion. Matt didn't hit them with the rubber stick." Mark had figured that one out by himself.

"What was it and what in the hell happened to the rubber one?" Mark was yelling now.

"The crew was taking apart the ring and found the one he had been using. It was a solid wood stick. They found the rubber one pushed far under the ring towards the middle. No one knew we ordered the rubber one but the people in my office." Vince was still quiet.

"He isn't stupid Vince. He knew how it would look being taken out that way and that was his only chance at her. She was covered the rest of the time. Didn't Glenn notice the difference in feel?" Mark was getting angrier that no one checked it before the match started.

"I thought she was covered in the ring. Glenn said he would hurt Matt before he let anything happen to her. We just never thought he would do something like that in the ring. As for him not knowing. He was probably running on adrenaline and didn't notice. You know how that is. We thought we had everything covered Mark." Mark wanted to throw the phone. He had one more question that was more important than any other he had asked.

"Why didn't you have real EMT's there?" he shouted.

"What?" was all Vince could say.

"She has a skull fracture, a collarbone fracture and a broken arm. She was totally clean of any drugs. The only thing she took was some Tylenol before the match. If you had real EMT's there they would have known that right then and she would never have made it into that parking lot. She may have made things worse by falling." Vince was truly at a loss.  
"We had no angle planned that would have called for one. None of the other angles needed it. She was supposed to be all right."

Mark started yelling at him again. His voice was becoming so raised that people started to look. "Supposed to be? She isn't an angle. You should have had them there just in case he tried what he did. We risk things everyday knowing there probably aren't emergency people at hand. This time you should have known to have them there. Matt is the perfect example of 'roid rage and you didn't see it? You knew what he did to her before and still didn't see it?" Vince was quiet for a second. He had to admit his part in the failure to protect her.

"You're right," was all he could say before Mark hung up on him. He looked down at his phone, and threw it hard to the ground. It broke into a dozen pieces of metal and plastic. For as much as he blamed Vince he blamed himself. It was easy to see how it happened now it was over. He should have seen that opening to her as much as Vince should have. He walked outside to get air and calm down and saw another ambulance coming in. They opened the door and he saw Glenn lying on a gurney with his legs hanging over the edge. He had a collar on and his eyes were closed. He trembled with rage. Two of his best friends were hurt. One might die because of him.

They sat in ICU for a while before the doctor came in. He checked her monitors. He was going to leave but looked at them. They looked like they had been through hell.

"You should go to your hotel. We will call you if anything changes," he offered. Mark looked at him and no words were required. They wouldn't leave unless forced to.

"I shouldn't say anything but your friend will be fine. He has a slight concussion and deep bruising of his arm. He will go home tomorrow." The doctor opened the door and left.

A couple hours later Vince showed up. He walked in and looked at her. He took her hand for a moment. He was a man who didn't show emotion easily but it was obvious he was very upset over how she looked. The bruises were beginning to darken and she was developing two black eyes. He motioned for Mark to follow him. Sara watched but knew better than to follow. They went outside and Vince looked to the floor hoping the words would be there.

"I went to the police. They let him go shortly after they got him there. He was supposed to be held on trespass charges if anything happened. For whatever reason they let him go. I also found out we can't have him charged with anything more than assault and battery." Mark couldn't believe what he just heard. This nightmare just kept getting worse.

"What? He tried to kill her. And might have. Not to mention Glenn." Mark ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to get control.

"I know. They said it was a staged fight in which they both knew the risks. If they had been walking down the street it would be different. But they were in a wrestling ring, and engaged in a 'fight'. They said that implies consent to anything that would happen before the first hit, which was agreed on by all three. Any hits after is counted and it amounts to assault and battery because all he has to say is he thought it was the rubber stick. She never reported the original abuse so we can't get him on that or show prior motive." Mark started pacing.

"He's going to get away with this?"

"Not really. He never got to take his bag with him. They had cause after I spoke to them and they went through his bag. They found cocaine, illegal prescription drugs, and illegal steroids. They are going to try to get a search warrant for his hotel room and if they find a more substantial amount he will be charged with trafficking and illegal possession or intent to sell. If that pans out they may be able to search his house. I don't know the law but more charges might come out if she..." he stopped there.  
Mark couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I don't believe this. They are going to give him a slap on the wrist. And he may still come back," he said clenching his fists.

"No. We will have security outside and here if he shows up. I don't think he will. They are looking but LA is a big city. He could be anywhere." Vince knew this offered little comfort.

"Lets hope the security is better than at the arena," Mark spat and walked back in the room and spoke to Sara. They sat there all night with her wishing for miracle that all this was a bad dream

"Stay here with her. Call me if anything changes. I'll be back." He put his coat on and started for the door.

"Don't do anything you'll regret Mark," she cautioned.

He looked back at her with a sight she had only seen in the ring. He looked like the scary dangerous Undertaker that fans knew so well.

"I won't regret it Sara." He paused before leaving. "But I promise you, he will."

He walked outside and got into the car Vince had dropped off. He knew of one place that Matt might be. He used to party with him and knew of a strip club that Matt liked to frequent while in LA. As he drove through the streets he kept thinking about the past year. He grew angrier the closer he got to the club. After driving for a half an hour trying to remember where the club was he finally found it. He parked his car and got out. This was a seedier part of LA than he cared to be in anymore. He rarely worried about his safety as he usually intimidated any punks by his size alone, and if that didn't work the Undertaker attitude came in and worked.

He walked to the door of the club and went in. It was darker inside except for the lights on the stage. He walked around searching for one thing. He ignored the few girls who came up to him and tried to dance for him. His eyes locked on what he was looking for.  
He saw Matt sitting at a table in the corner. Matt saw him come in and finished his drink. Mark walked up to him.  
"Hey Mark. How do you feel? You look like you have a bit of a headache?" he said with a smirk. Mark wanted to grab him by the throat right there.

Mark glared down at him for as long as he could. Just the site of him made him want to kill.

"Outside," was all he said.

"I don't think so. See, I'm sitting here having a good time. I knew you would remember this place. Why don't you spend some time with your friend? You don't need to come here to get laid." Matt signaled for another drink.

A waitress came over and gave him his drink. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. Mark saw it was Angel's.  
"Here darling. If you come back later with another one this might be yours." Mark reached out for it but Matt pulled it away. Mark pushed him hard right into the wall and Matt nearly fell to the ground. Dozens of guys turned around at the noise.

"Outside," Mark said again. Matt put the necklace in his shirt pocket and put his hand out.

"After you," Mark turned and started walking towards the back door that led into an alley. It looked like one of those alleys in the movies. No people were around and it led to a fence at the back edge of a parking lot. There was no escape except through the door they came out of.

The people in the bar had seen this so many times that it was no longer noticed. The people simply went back to their drinks.

Mark walked first through the door. He didn't have chance to turn around and felt pain across his back and shoulders. It sent him reeling several feet forward. Matt was standing there with another stick similar to the one the used that night.

"I told you to watch your back Mark. Next time you should listen." He tucked the stick back in his waist and took off his coat. Mark looked up at him with a new hatred. Mark slowly stood back up to his full height.   
"You really want to do this? All this over one girl?" Matt said with a smile.

"One special girl, and one friend." Mark balled his fists and put them up. "Time to give the devil his due."

"That line is getting old Mark, but so are you. Let's go old man." Matt took a step forward and they locked up. Mark swung and caught the smaller man with a fist to the side of his face. It didn't slow Matt down sufficiently and after staggering back a step he quickly returned the blow. Blood dripped steadily from his nose after Mark's initial punch and Mark was faring no better. He felt the warm trickle of it running from his own split lip. They traded blows for a time, each man falling back and swinging slower as each impact inflicted more damage. Matt gave a low growl and dove for him, determined to hurt him as much as he could. He hit him in the stomach and pushed him back to the brick wall very hard. Mark's breath whooshed out of him as the other man's shoulder hit his ribcage sharply and he felt a rib snap.

With a triumphant smile, Matt stood up and pulled his fist back to deliver another punch, but Mark managed to move out of the way at the last second. It was Mark's turn to smile as Matt yelled with pain when his knuckles made contact with the wall and tore the skin away. With his other hand Matt grabbed the stick and swung. It glanced the side of Mark's head. It wasn't full force because he had time to turn but it was hard enough to send him into the wall and open up the side of his head at his hairline. He didn't have time to recover before he felt the stick hit his bicep, followed by a hot pain to his leg, and he fell down to one knee. He yelled in pain as felt the stick hit his back again, followed by a growl as the pain fueled his temper even more.

With adrenaline pumping through his body, he turned slightly and punched Matt hard in the groin. He heard the stick drop to the ground with a clatter as he pulled himself to his feet. Matt instantly dropped to both knees as searing white hot agony ripped through his body, but Mark didn't give him time to recoup his strength before he punched him again in the mouth and then gave him a kick to the face. He reached down and picked him up by the hair, grabbing his arm and pulling him hard as he put a knee to his stomach. Matt fell to his back, and Mark kicked him again, this time a hard blow to the ribs with his boot. He heard the bones break and Matt gasped for breath. It gave Mark a brief respite in which to step back and catch his own breath and control the pain that was burning throughout his body.

Without warning Matt got up and charged towards him. Mark saw a wild look in his eyes and he knew that Matt was almost a man possessed and beyond pain. He hit Mark with a kick of his own which sent flying again into the wall. While Mark was trying to breathe, Matt picked up the stick and hit him again on the other side of his ribcage.

He swung the stick again and this time Mark got his hand up in time to catch it. They each held the stick for a moment, each pushing it harder to use on the other.

Mark felt a sudden sting on his left leg and looked down to see he had pulled out a knife, which was now sticking out of his leg. His leg felt cold and he knew it was going to bleed badly when the knife came out. He still held the stick, and Matt was still pushing, so he shifted his weight and punched the smaller man hard on the ribs, which made him finally let go.

Mark swung the stick and hit him hard on the side of the head, and Matt fell to his knees. With a faint grimace, Mark reached down and pulled the knife out, feeling blood start to trickle down his leg with the action. But right now, he didn't care. He grabbed Matt by the hair and pulled his head back, putting the blade to his throat. Matt couldn't say anything, he simply stared with wide eyes waiting for what he knew was coming. Mark was shaking with rage as he held the knife there. He kept picturing Angel and wanted nothing more than to see this man dead. After a moment, which felt like an eternity, he let go of Matt and threw the knife. As much as he wanted to hurt him he didn't need a weapon to do it. He wanted to kill the worthless jerk at that moment but he knew he couldn't.

Matt opened his eyes when he felt the grasp leave his hair. He was in shock that he was still alive. Mark punched him in the face before spitting down at him.  
Mark turned and walked away. Before he had gone three steps Matt hit him in the back with a kick from his boots, making him fall against the wall. He turned and backhanded Matt who was moving in for another attack. Matt fell back holding his face. Infuriated that he couldn't get the better of the older man, he leapt forward and punched him in the face. Mark felt blood squirt from his nose, the pain making him squeeze his eyes shut for a second. It was all the other man needed and he grabbed Mark by the hair and slammed his head against the wall. Black spots started invading the edges of his vision now and he felt his legs grow weak from the force of the blow. Matt used the opportunity to find the knife and come back to hover menacingly over his fallen opponent.

Mark saw the light reflecting off the blade from the streetlights. Instead of fear he looked the younger man straight in the eye. Now he knew what he had done to Angel. Matt swung his arm back to stab with all the force he had, but Mark was there first. He grabbed Matt's arm and brought his knee up, slamming his arm down on his leg several times until he heard the loud pop of a bone break. Then he heard the clatter of metal on the ground.

Reaching out and grabbing Matt by the neck, he stood him up and started squeezing. Matt grabbed for his throat, but Mark kept on with the crushing pressure. He moved his face right into Matt's.  
"You hurt the only woman in this world who saw anything good in you. You hurt a good woman who would do anything for anyone, even you. You broke her down and beat on her until she gave up. But now you picked a fight with a man. One who won't back down and can kick your ass. A man you had to face instead of taking a cheap shot." He squeezed his neck harder, constricting his windpipe slowly. He could see by the streetlights that Matt was turning color and he eased his grip enough that he knew he had Matt's complete attention. "If you ever come near her again...if you ever touch her again, or even look at her again I will be back. That is a promise. And I have a lot of people watching my back after tonight. You need to watch yours." With that said, he picked Matt up as high as he could hold him and chokeslammed him hard, his head bouncing on the concrete. He backed up against the wall and waited until he got his bearings. Looking down he saw that Matt was motionless, so he reached down and took the necklace from his pocket. Matt started to groan and he lightly grabbed Mark's leg.

Mark gave a grim smile as he remembered the last thing Matt did to Angel in the ring. He pulled his boot back and gave him a hard kick on his hip. Mark felt his grip leave his other leg as he finally passed out. With one last look, he simply turned and walked away.

Mark stumbled through the club. People stopped all activity and watched him slowly limp through. No one said a word. No one walked towards the back to check on his adversary. When Mark left the club the activity continued. Mark got to the car slowly. He reached for his phone but couldn't find it. He saw a pay phone. He felt in his pocket for a quarter. He told them where to find Matt. When they asked him his name all he said was 'bring an ambulance'. He hung up the phone and limped to the car. He pulled his leg in and slowly pulled the door shut. As he was pulling away he saw a police car come with its lights flashing. He allowed himself a small smile.

He walked into the hospital. Everyone on the way stopped and stared at this seven-foot man covered in blood limping down the hallway. They all assumed he was going to the emergency room. He walked right by and got on an elevator.

Security outside the hospital knew who he was and didn't stop to question him even though they were speechless at how he looked. The security outside of ICU didn't know him. The look of a blood covered 7-foot man walking toward him gave him reason to worry. He told him to stop. Mark just glared at him. The officer sensed the threat and was already agitated by the state he was in. He put his hand on his sidearm. Mark tried to tell him who he was but he was in no mood. Sara saw him through the glass and came out. She gasped at the sight of him and told the officer it was ok. The officer slowly withdrew his hand and walked back to his desk watching him intently.

Sara grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him down. She grabbed onto him in a death grip. She had seen him come home in bad shape before but never like this. He reached around her and hugged her.

The security guard had called downstairs and told them he needed a doctor up there right away. Mark was hugging Sara and he felt weak. He felt his legs turn to rubber. He backed up to the wall and slid down. Sara held him the whole way trying to hold him up. She didn't have the strength to keep him upright so she helped him lie on the ground. She noticed blood soaking his jeans. His face was almost covered with it. She screamed for the guard to help her. He ran to get a towel. His eyes were closing. Sara grabbed the sides of his head and kept talking, making him look at her.

A nurse came from one of the rooms when she heard Sara's scream. Suddenly nurses and orderlies were coming from everywhere. Mark was vaguely aware of being picked up and laid on a gurney. He felt Sara's hand. Then he felt nothing.

The next thing he saw was a bright light. He squinted from it and turned his head. He noticed it was sunlight. Then he saw Sara asleep in a chair next to him. He was in a hospital bed. She was still holding his hand. He moved his hand trying to get her to let go. She woke up instantly and jumped to his side. She pushed the nurses call button.

He looked at her. He felt pain everywhere. If he felt this bad he would love to know how Matt was feeling.

"How are you?" she asked. It was as silly a question as he asked Angel when he first saw her.

"Tip top." He smiled and felt his lip split. He put his hand up but she was already there with a Kleenex.

"Angel?" he was afraid to ask. He couldn't tell by Sara's face what the answer was.

She looked at him and talked softly. "You broke your phone remember? We couldn't reach you. Then you came in like this." He was preparing himself for what she was about to say.

"She started getting better right after you left. She wasn't totally awake but she was starting to respond to voice and pain. She is down to serious but stable." Sara said with a smile. This was still bad but it was an improvement.

"Matt?" she asked afraid of his answer.

"He won't bother her again. I guarantee he regrets it now Sara." He thought for a moment. "I don't"

"Vince called. They found Matt and he is still at the hospital. He is now officially under arrest. They found drugs at the hotel and they got a federal warrant for his house. They found cocaine, and a ton of illegal prescription drugs. They found out that even though she didn't report it her injuries were on record with the hospital. If she will say he did it they can charge him with more. But as of right now he is going away for a long time. He had enough drugs to be charged federally. Word leaked out to the papers after the match and the fact that some people here recognized her and you. They went digging and printed a story. Women are coming forward to say he hurt them. And some of them were more than physical. All from different parts of the country." He took a deep breath, which hurt. He had no idea. It made him feel worse that it was him who introduced them.

The same doctor treating Angel came in with his clipboard.  
"Well Mr. Calaway. We meet again. You like to keep us busy don't you? Are you ready for your laundry list of injuries?" Mark shook his head no but the doctor continued.

"You have a broken nose, 8 stitches on the side of your head, you have 6 stitches on the back of your head. You have 5 stitches in your leg. You have 4 broken ribs, you have a bruised kidney, and thankfully your kidney function is normal. You have a bruising of your back and shoulders, arm and leg. You have a slight concussion. You likely passed out from blood loss and exhaustion. We made sure you got a full nights sleep. You have been out for about 12 hours. You can go after lunch if you take it easy and promise not to get into another fight, but I am sure I will know where to find you. If you have any problems at all I want you to promise to call for me. Otherwise I will have to order you to stay out of the ICU. " He smiled at Sara and started for the door, he turned and said. "Your friend Angel and shown a lot of improvement. She was taken off the ventilator a couple hours ago, she is breathing normally, by herself and that is very good news. She is on plain oxygen right now. She still isn't conscious yet but coming off the vent is close to a miracle compared to how I thought this would end." He walked out the door. Mark was beginning to like this guy.

That afternoon he limped back to ICU with Sara holding on to him. He could only guess how he looked. People stopped and stared as he passed by. He knew his head had bandages on it but could only guess what his face looked like. He didn't want to know.

He walked into the room and winced to himself. She looked the same or worse than yesterday. Her arm was in a cast and her eyes were black. The bruises that she had seemed darker.

They sat with her that night. Both slept off and on in the chairs provided but it was restless sleep at best.

They both woke up when they heard the doctor talking to Angel. He had raised his voice and was telling her to squeeze his fingers. He gently touched her collarbone. Her arms rose slightly. He kept asking her to open her eyes.

"It may not seem like it but she is improving. She is moving her fingers on command. She is more responsive to pain. If you keep talking to her it may help. She obviously can hear us. The swelling has gone down considerably. Her MRI shows great improvement since she came in. I have seen people in better shape take twice as long to come this far and some never did. She must be a fighter."

"She is." Mark smiled at him.

They both kept talking to her for hours. Mark would grab her hand and tell her to squeeze it. She didn't respond unless you almost yelled. He knew that was how he got to her before. When he would raise his voice and sometimes he felt a slight squeeze of two of his fingers. The more they talked the more she would respond. Both of them grew tired when she stopped responding. She had almost been awake.

The next morning the doctor woke them up. He again asked them to go to the hotel, or at least sleep in one of the beds in the doctors lounge. They had been delivering food to them even though a lot of it went untouched.

Later that day while they were eating they were talking back and forth. He looked up and noticed her eyes flicker. He stood up and limped to her side.

"Open your eyes." He saw another flicker then nothing. He repeated it a few times. She opened her eyes slightly. He tried again and this time she opened them more. She looked at them for a second showing no signs of recognition and closed her eyes again. They kept talking to her and after a long time she opened them and kept them open until he knew she recognized them.

The doctor came in to check. He asked them to leave. After a long while he emerged. He was smiling.

"Keep talking to her. The longer she is awake the better. She might not be able to talk for a while after because of the vent but she is looking good."

Mark went in and sat next to her.  
"How do you feel?" That seemed to be the stupidest question he ever heard once he was on the receiving end of it. She gave him a confused look.

She very slowly lifted her hand up to her throat to feel for her necklace. She grew distressed when she realized it wasn't there. Mark saw the look in her eyes and he grabbed her hand and put the necklace in it. She smiled slightly.

He noticed she was trying to say something. He leaned over to hear her. He got a smile on his face.

"I fell," was all he said. Despite her waking up she fell asleep again. The doctor came in to check and quickly informed them she was simply asleep and she would wake again.

The next few days went by quickly. She improved more each day. By the end of the week they came in to visit and she was sitting in a chair. The next day they tried walking. She was having trouble walking and had no balance but at least she was up and not paralyzed.

She talked with them for a while and for the first time asked the question they were afraid to hear.

"Matt?"

"He is in jail. He won't get out for a long time. Even if he does get out he won't bother you again. I promise," Mark said.

She looked at him sadly. He saw a single tear run down her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb.

"I think I still love him." The sound of that made Mark cringe.

"You might. But now he won't hurt anyone else. You loved him but you love everyone. He didn't return the favor." She didn't say anymore about him.

After a couple weeks it was time for her to go home.

Six months later she arrived at the Philadelphia Spectrum. She rode with Mark. The only thing he said on the way was "Are you sure you're ready?" She nodded. She was still having trouble walking and was excited and scared at the idea of working again. He noticed she kept touching her necklace that was now on a sterling silver chain. He pulled in behind the arena. He was directed inside. Her appearance was to be a surprise.

He walked to the passenger side and he helped her out. She grabbed his arm. After a second she started walking holding him tightly. They walked towards the dressing rooms.

"There are some new guys and a few new girls." Mark said. "You will be fine."

"I will be lucky if they remember who I am. I didn't work here for years and years like you did." She had prepared herself for the idea that a few of the guys might say hi. The fans might yell. But she knew the window of opportunity only stayed open for a short time.

They turned a corner and saw Vince standing there. He noticed that she still held onto his arm for balance. When he called she asked him if he was sure he wanted her. She was damaged goods now. She had scars and wasn't perfect. He told her she was an example to the others of how much she had given and risked and lived through for the good of the business. He held his arms out and he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the side of the cheek. It was almost cold but she knew that was a lot coming from Vince.

"I'm so glad you're back. You have a job whenever you want it. We owe you a lot," he said smiling.

"No you don't. I didn't give anymore than any of the guys." She blushed. For someone who was as blunt as her it was surprising she turned out shy.

"Stubborn as ever I see," he said in his low voice. Mark just nodded his head. She gave him a playful smack.

"We are teaming you with someone else. It's just temporary until we bring in your new guy. We have a kid in mind. His name is Adam. He is a very nice guy and a good wrestler. He is going to be available in a few weeks. We have a good gimmick set up for him. Until then we need you to help this guy." Vince said with a grunt. "He needs all the help he can get. We can't seem to get the fans behind him."

She knew what that meant. A low card wrestler who probably had as much heat as a snowball in hell. Rey turned the corner. He opened his arms and enveloped her. She had a smile bigger than Mark had ever seen. She didn't remember what happened in the ring that night or the week before for that matter. But she was shown the tapes. She cried when she saw how much Rey had carried her the first night and stayed with her all the way to the back the second night. She saw him attack Matt even though he was being held back. She was also told he was the one who found her. She would always have a special place in her heart for Rey.

She hugged him hard and whispered "Angel de la guardia" which she had been told meant Guardian Angel in Spanish. He held her tighter for a second more.

Vince said gruffly, "better get inside. You go on in an hour and a half and I don't want to have to fine you." He smiled at her. She held onto Reys arm. She felt a little self-conscious because her first step was always the hardest. It took concentration to get her foot to obey the commands to move. Once she started moving it was better. But she walked easier and steadier when she had someone to hold onto. She finally got going and walked past Vince to the dressing room. She looked up and saw everyone standing and clapping. She saw everyone from road agents, wrestlers, and ring support, even wardrobe. She wanted to run and hide. She turned away. Mark grabbed her and held her while he could feel her sobs. He made her stand there and face this gesture from her family.  
The crowd reaction that night was more than anyone had hoped. She was stunned the fans didn't forget her and gave her a standing ovation when she came out on Reys arm.

She met Adam a few weeks later. He was a very nice guy. He was very much the gentleman and always treated her with respect. They bonded instantly and he was very instrumental in the speed of her recovery. He sought out her challenging personality and would force her to work harder.

After months of physical therapy and the exercise she got walking to and from the ring as well as her gimmicks in it, she was able to walk without help. Eventually it was undetectable that she ever had a problem. Fans forget easy. Soon her story was one of legend that was changed and added to. Eventually they all thought it was an angle since she recovered so well.

She did defy Marks advice about not dating wrestlers once more. After a year of working together she went out on a date with Adam. He treated her very well. The relationship developed quickly. She felt love from him she had never felt before. Whenever she had a bad day he would lift her up.

He was the total package. He never drank, he didn't do any drugs and he loved life as much as she did now. His gimmick was very popular and the fans loved him. He also had an accounting degree and would always have work when the wrestling business dried up.

One year later Mark and Sara were at her wedding. She continued to work for 2 more years. Almost 3 years to the day after her wedding she handed Mark and Sara their new godsons - Mark Adam and Raymond Paul.

The end.


End file.
